The Trip Chronicles (Chapter Two): Sins of the Father
by thorney33
Summary: Trip finds himself at a crossroads on his journey - a changed Iris has fled to the Village of Dragons, Cilan has returned to Striaton. Determined to get her back, he ventures to the Village of Dragons to confront Drayden. But obstacles lurk behind every corner, as a pact involving Iris and Eurus threatens to tear the two apart for good. And where exactly is Trip's father?
1. Recap of Chapter One

**Previously, in the Trip Chronicles…**

 **SPOILERS AHEAD! Check my profile to access to CHAPTER ONE**

Our hero, a young trainer named Trip, left behind his dishevelled home and mother to finally live his dream of becoming a Pokémon trainer. After carefully choosing Snivy from Nuvema Town's own Professor Juniper, Trip ran into a Kanto region trainer named Ash. Despite Snivy's inexperience, Trip used clever strategy to defeat Ash and his Pikachu. What Trip didn't know was that they had a strange admirer in the treetops…

 _In a nearby tree, the girl looked down in interest, a slight smile on her face. With a flash, she grabbed a vine and swang into the dank forest as well._

…the girl turned out to be budding Dragon-trainer Iris. The girl, along with her trusty yet weak Axew, eventually and somewhat begrudgingly began to follow Trip on his journey. It was not always smooth sailing, and the two did not always get along, even with Trip getting stronger and stronger…

 _Iris jumped down from the tree stump she had planted herself on and firmly patted Axew's head back into the safety of her luscious purple hair. "You know, it's great that you're winning all the battles and everything, Trip…but don't you think it might do you some good to lose every once in a while?"_

 _The smile on Trip's face faded as Iris' words sank in. Had she said what she thought she did!?_

" _I just don't want winning to go to your head, that's all."_

…but eventually, the two trainers came to understand and even admire each other, for they were more similar than both of them would like to admit…

" _I've been caught so caught up with what I wanted to achieve…getting my first Gym badge, raising my Pokémon…that I forgot about you and what you need. What you want. How many battles did I let you take on our way from Nuvema to Striaton? None. I'm not the only one who needs to get stronger. It was selfish of me. And I'm sorry."_

 _Iris found herself speechless, a state she rarely found herself in. How did he know what was bothering her? She knew that he was intelligent and perceptive, but all too often he came across as cold and uncaring. She had suspected it was not necessarily the truth about who he was, but she still found herself surprised whenever he did prove her correct. Pleasantly surprised._

…and the possibility of something even deeper, previously unthinkable, may have been developing…

 _But if Iris noticed, she at least had the sense not to say anything. She stepped forward, getting closer to Trip. Her heart beat faster as she reached out and grabbed the front of his tattered jacket, poking a finger playfully through one of the holes dotting the front._

" _I…"_

 _Say it._

…but, as with any young trainers, distractions were always sure to get in the way. While he was successful in defeating two of the three Gym leaders at the Striaton City Gym, his defeat to the green-haired connoisseur in Cilan led Trip to refusing his first Gym badge on his basis of seeking perfection. Worse still, a Voltorb-strung young man absent mindedly ventured into the Gym and detonated, leaving a path of chaos and destruction in his wake. The young man turned out to be Hecate, one of Iris' compatriots from the mythical Village of Dragons, and fears that it was an attempt on Cilan and his brothers' lives quickly turned into concerns for Iris and the other young Dragon trainers on their Laconrummen away from the Village, in the albino and hobbling Eurus and Iris' older best friend, the beautiful Arke. A mysterious and suspicious Chansey at the Pokémon centre led Trip into investigating himself, and he discovered three antagonists at a nearby hotel room, searching for a forth partner in crime…

" _We just have to figure out where he will go next. How hard can that be? There can't be that many places to go in this stupid region."_

 _The shaky voice of the 'man' again. "But…but…if the boss finds out that…"_

 _A third voice rang out between the two squabbling adults. Trip couldn't quite place it…it didn't sound quite like any boy he'd heard, nor any girl…but it didn't quite sound like an adult either. Dare he say it, it didn't sound exactly human._

…Cilan followed the two from Striaton towards Nacrene City, sharing Officer Jenny's concerns about Iris' wellbeing. On the way they met Leo, a brilliant rocket scientist, professing crazy conspiracy theories about how the long defunct Team Plasma must have been behind the Gym attack. Cilan laughed it off, but Trip couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was a connection that he couldn't quite place…

 _The boy's fingers and eyes both ran over the strange insignia on his father's jacket at the same time. The logo jutted out from the rest of the jacket and sat proudly on the blackened breast pocket – a shield, white and black, with a blue 'P' and what could have constituted for a lightning bolt behind it._

…after witnessing the budding relationship between Trip and Iris, Cilan confessed about the identity of the Gym's attacked and revealed that Iris was in grave danger. Determined to find Arke and save her friend, Iris continued on to Nacrene City and witnessed Trip destroy Lenora and win his first Gym badge! In an attempt to reward him for his efforts, Iris went to the markets to acquire a badge case for Trip, but after being led into the Pinwheel Forest, found more than she had bargained for…

 _Iris had heard enough, as had Axew, who buried itself deeper into Iris' hair in fear. The girl stuck her hand in and rubbed Axew's head reassuringly. "Capture Axew? Are you insane? He's mine! Who would you want to steal somebody's Pokémon?"_

 _Jessie, still chiding James, waved her hand at Iris noncommittedly. "Stay out of this, you. Why we need your Axew is none of your concern."_

Just as it seemed like all hope was lost for the two, a bright flash of light enveloped the clearing and the pair disappeared. Trip and Cilan, worried for their friend, eventually found their way into the Forest to find Iris gone. The only witness was a strong Sawk, who eventually agreed to join Trip to help find his friend. Meanwhile, Iris found herself in the company of Lance, a strong Dragon-master from Kanto who claimed to be a childhood friend of her Village leader Drayden, who had tasked Lance with locating the young Dragon trainers around Unova and bring them back to the Village unharmed. Lance claimed that Team Rocket were behind the murders, which prompted Iris to convince Lance to search the region for Arke together. Lance agreed. Trip, mind on Iris instead of his journey, found assistance in Leo, but had to give up his only badge to Leo's brother Locke as payment. The three trainers made their way across the region, using Leo's Psychic types as a guide, to save Iris for what had been predicted to come.

" _She's…she's unharmed. Unharmed, but not safe. The quest she is on…in not as it seems. A great betrayal is coming, one which will change her life forever…and perhaps even end it. I see…mountains, rivers…trees, everywhere…a forest, no doubt…I see a girl, dark skinned, crying over…something…I can't see what…and…dragons…dragons. Dragons everywhere!"_

…all of our heroes descended onto the unnamed mountain range at the very top of the Unova region, where Iris believed Arke to be hiding. She found clues to confirm this and, after a long and dreary search up the steepest mountain, she came across her friend, barely alive. Trip, Leo and Cilan arrived at the base of the mountain just in time to find Team Rocket in position, considering their options for finding Iris and Axew. A battle ensued, with the extremely powerful Leo holding off Team Rocket, while Trip scaled the mountain, a girl's screams piercing the area. The screams of Iris. Fortunately for Trip, the screams were not Iris' last, as she finally discovered the source of the betrayal…

 _Iris muffled her own screaming and scrambled backwards away from Arke. The single tear that had made its way down her arm had not been a tear at all – but a single drop of blood. The source of the blood was the thick, but precise, cut that had been made from one end of Arke's throat to the other. Iris had not even been awoken by the attack, but Arke obviously had. Her eyes were wide open and her mouth was agape, screaming the scream that Iris had taken care of only moments before. Her arms clawed at the ground and her hair was rustled everywhere. In death, it was as if all of Arke's beauty had been stripped away. Iris could have even wondered if there would be any beauty left in the world again. She stayed huddled, afraid of being left alone with the dead body of her friend._

 _But, as it turned out, she was not alone._

" _Chansey."_

" _I didn't want it to come to this, you know."_

…Lance was revealed as Hecate and Arke's killer and the pursuer of Iris. His Chansey, actually a Ditto from the Kanto region, revealed his plight – Dragon types around Kanto and the entire world were dwindling in numbers, and the only man with the resources to help – Drayden – refused to open his Village and share his fabled supply of Dragon eggs with the world. He had even released his own powerful Dragonite into the wild to find any traces of wild Dragons remaining in Kanto. Having found nothing, he decided to attempt to force Drayden to tear down the Village's walls. To achieve this, Lance had taken the extreme steps of targeting the youth on Laconrummen, crippling the future of the Village with them. Afraid for her own life, Lance had larger plans in store for the impressive Iris…

 _He turned to her, pointing straight at her heart. "I will freely admit to using you to locate your friend, and for that, I am truly sorry. But I have seen your true heart, Iris…your potential. If we work together, we can destroy Drayden…we can take the Village…we can secure the Dragon eggs and we can secure the future for Dragon types around the world…you can truly become the Dragon master that you are destined to become. Are you with me, Iris?"_

…one glance at the body of her friend was all it took Iris to spit on this offer, sending the rebellious Excadrill out to battle with Lance's Ditto as she managed to wrestle the distracted man over the edge of the mountain, seemingly to his death. Trip finally made his way to the mountain side, finding the dead body of Arke, but Iris nowhere in sight.

 **oOoOo**

 _It was pitch black by the time Cilan pulled himself up the last rocky ledge to find Trip sitting silently, looking over the magnificent view that lay before him. A slender figure lay in his arms, and Cilan's heart leaped in his chest as he ran up. He realised that the girl was not Iris, and his heart fell into complete relief, before he felt so ashamed at his relief at the girl's identity that he could have thrown himself right off the cliff then and there._

" _Trip, is that…"_

" _She's gone home, Cilan."_

 _The green-haired Gym leader stood, stunned, trying to tear his eyes away from the poor girl's body laying strewn on the ground before him. "What do you mean, Trip?"_

" _She's gone home. She's alive. But she's not here."_

" _But how do you know that she's gone home? Trip?"_

 _The intense boy gazed up at the Gym leader. The same determined look that he had worn when he turned down the Trio Badge was now firmly on his face again. "I just know."_

" _Well…what do we do?"_

" _We follow her and get her back. We're going to the Village of Dragons."_

 **oOoOo**

 **Welcome back to the Trip Chronicles! Thank you if you have read Chapter One, and if you haven't, read it! The first new chapter of this section of the story will be up shortly. Don't forget to fave/follow if you want to read more, and any feedback/reviews are very much appreciated!**


	2. Bloody Return

" _Team Plasma is defeated, Team Plasma is defeated!"_

 _The cries echoed around the Village, much like any rumour would around a small community. People ran to and fro, thrusting their heads into every cottage on the lane, spreading the word that had been passing around the Unova Region like a knife slicing through hot butter. Team Plasma, the scourge on the whole region for many months, had allegedly gone into hiding after their leader, Ghetsis, had fallen to his death in the Giant Chasm. No longer would they attempt to 'liberate' the Pokémon of Unova. A boy, shaggy blue hair, ran up to a small and run down cabin at the edge of the tree-line, nearly jumping through the tiny window with excitement._

" _Ariadne, did you hear?"_

 _The young woman in the cabin did not share the young man's excitement. Her dark eyes fluttered and her pregnant stomach seemed to swell further as she shifted on the floor to get a better view of his face, shining through the darkness of the cabin._

" _Hear what, Sioren?"_

" _Team Plasma has been defeated! Their leader thrown into the darkness of the Giant Chasm, never to return! Don't you see? Peace and prosperity can reign once more! War is no more!"_

 _A shrill crying began from the corner of the room, and Ariadne cursed silently. The boy knew nothing of responsibility. As was the custom, the mother was entirely responsible for looking after the children of the Village. In many cases, the father never met or even knew of his children – the polygamous society ensured that the urges of men were never left untended to, and the women? Ariadne despised those who saw their role as an honour, a distinction – common whores, the lot of them. The irony of her convictions was not lost upon her, laying in that cabin with one daughter, and another on the way – but for her, the daughters were a sound investment for both their own futures, and hers. A strong and tall daughter like her first was bound to be was a valuable commodity for those women in the Village unable to conceive of their own. And the second, in her belly then and there? She could sense the fire growing within, and she could tell it had the spirit of her father in her. Ariadne had been sure to seduce only the strongest and most fierce male in the Village to have the second child with, and her prayers had been answered with another girl._

" _Arke…hush now, child. Mother is trying to sleep."_

 _The dark-skinned girl in the corner wiped the tears from her eyes and turned her back to the adults, sobbing silently to herself as her mother painfully stretched and rose to her feet. She padded her way to the window and looked out past Sioren to see a large crowd gathering at the front of the Village._

" _They are awaiting Drayden's triumphant return, Ariadne. Shall we join them?"_

 _As little as Ariadne was interested in Village politics and heresy, she could never resist the chance to get a glimpse of Drayden, the strong and fearless leader of the Village. She slowly exited the cabin, without a single glance at the trembling Arke, and followed Sioren towards the gathering and excited throng. The timing could not have been any more perfect, for as soon as they had reached the edge of the field, the calls started to ring out._

" _There he is! Drayden!"_

" _He's back…he's actually back!"_

" _Oh….help him! He's hurt!"_

 _The sight was one that Ariadne was never likely to forget – the one dirt path that wove its way through the mountains had one single passenger making his way home. Drayden, white stubble covering most of his face, walked with a heavy limp and was covered in blood nearly from head to toe. Open and visible wounds covered his body from head to toe. Several of the Village women ran forward to assist, but Drayden pushed them away with a grunt. He defiantly stood in front of the Villagers, staring around in disgust. Sioren, bolder than most, stepped forward._

" _Drayden…what happened?"_

 _The man stood and stared at Sioren, who cowed and stepped back. Drayden, teeth clenched, walk through the crowd which slowly parted before him. He snarled at the sight of a child in the distance, running free outside the official bounds of the Village._

" _I have seen…terrible things," Drayden boomed. "Unspeakable acts by people that we once thought of as our neighbours. All around Unova, people bowed down to and joined Ghetsis and his repulsive group of terrorists…men, women, children…they all jumped to his side, blind to the atrocities that he had committed…that he would commit. If I learned anything from the ordeal, it is this – outsiders cannot be trusted. I want a wall built around the Village – high enough to keep anybody who would wish to harm this community out. People are no longer free to leave as they please. Disobedience to these orders is not an option. Understood?"_

 _The man narrowed his eyes at the Villagers, who slowly nodded their heads in either bewildered or frightened agreement. The bloody figure shuffled away from the group. A cold wind whipped through the canyon, and Ariadne shivered in fright. A wall? She rubbed her bloated stomach with concern as the Villagers scattered to and fro to find materials to begin construction immediately. Ariadne, still chilled, rubbed her stomach as she made her way back to the cabin._

" _Don't fret, Iris. We can trust Drayden…"_

 _It sounded so convincing, she mused. If only she'd believed it herself._

 **oOoOo**

For the first time in many years, since Drayden had returned from his battle with Ghetsis along with the other Gym leaders, the whispers were back. Gossip was spreading throughout the community like wildfire – talk of an impending war with Kanto, of a group of criminals stealing Dragon types throughout Unova, even talk that the youth currently on Laconrummen were never coming back to the Village. Elder knew that whispers like these could bring down whole communities – but she also knew there was an element of truth to some of them. Drayden's increasingly poor moods was testament to that fact. Hobbling to her door, overlooking the Village below, she soaked in the setting sun and tried to recall the last time she had appreciated the beauty that lay before them. She frowned as she noticed the sun making its way down past the stone wall surrounding the entire compound.

 _Compound?_ Even in her own mind, what she had once called home was now resembling some kind of refugee camp. Several prominent family leaders in the Village had become decidedly restless in past weeks, and taken it upon themselves to let their feelings known to Drayden. One had been exiled, another nearly slashed to death by the power of Haxorus, while the others had turned on their heels and fled back towards their shanties. Elder's main role was to advise Drayden, but even she feared to do so in his current state. The settlement needed a fillip, a boost…anything to increase morale. _A leader feared is a leader, yes…a leader that inspires blind loyalty…but not a leader that inspires and nurtures._

"Do you believe the rumours, Elder?"

The old woman shuffled onto her stony porch to find a thin and pale looking Ariadne sitting warily on the grass. Moving slowly, she stood next to the woman and silently stood, considering the question, as the sun continued to set before them.

"That depends, Ariadne. All rumours have the seeds of truth laying beneath them. They aren't born from nothing, after all."

"Like daughters," Ariadne moaned, head bowed. "If I'd known that danger was lurking beyond those walls, I never would have…"

"Never would have what?" Elder chuckled. "Let Iris go on her Laconrummen? I thought you knew your daughter better than that, my dear. Iris would have found her way into the world with or without your permission."

Ariadne's mind drifted back to a simpler time, when she would spend hours walking around at night trying to find Iris, who invariably would be out in the woods with either Arke or Drilbur. The girl would ignore her calls, running away to find a dark nook to hide in, as her mother's worry and fret would only multiply the darker it got. Iris had always seemed to take some vicious delight in Ariadne's annoyance, and it occasionally made her wonder if she had, in fact, kept the correct child. "Elder…what do you hear of Arke?"

The pain in Ariadne's voice was barely concealed, and neither was Elder's answer. "Asking of Arke's whereabouts is pointless, Ariadne. You know that. If they choose not to return, that is their wish, and the rest of their lives is for them to decide upon."

The truth stung Ariadne's heart, but she didn't have the gall to respond to Elder. In any case, she barely would have had the chance to explain all of the matters that she would have wished. A snapping of branches alerted the two women to another presence, and in an instant, they were joined by Sioren; his once blue shaggy hair looking decidedly grey and less bouncy.

"What do you want, Sioren?"

"Elder…Ariadne…" the man puffed, trying to reclaim his breath. "I came as…fast as I…could. A crowd forming at the…front gate…I fear…we have a visitor…"

Something deep in Ariadne's heart panged as the woman jumped up, lithe as a cat, and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Who, Sioren? Don't speak in riddles, damn you!"

"I…I…Iris. She's returned."

 **oOoOo**

The sight was one that Ariadne was never likely to forget.

The villagers murmured between themselves as the lone young trainer made her way up the lone dirt path towards the open gate of the Village. Even with her dirt streaked face, slight limp and blood covered clothing, there was no denying the identity of the walker. Iris' purple hair wobbled in the breeze and Axew has sticked his concerned face out of the tufts, crying and holding his arms out for the safety of home. Ariadne wanted to run forward to collect her daughter, but she found her legs frozen in place at the mere sight of her.

Iris looked up as she passed through the Village gates. Once they had seemed so familiar to her, a reassuring protection from the supposedly fearful outside world. But now? It was as though she was a foreigner from a distant overseas land. All of the people around her were staring at her as such. _It's like they've never seen a murderer before._

The girl stopped, catching a glimpse of her mother in the crowd, before collapsing on the ground. The last thing she saw before her world turned black was the feet of the villagers running towards her, calling out for help.

 **oOoOo**

"Snivy, _Vine Whip_. Sawk, _Karate Chop_!"

Snivy and Sawk both roared their approval before jumping forward towards their opponents. On the opposite side of the clearing, both Solosis and Elgyem glowed the same eerie blue as Leo before turning their attention to their opponents, putting up strong Light Screen defences that forced Trip's Pokémon back. Trip couldn't help but admire the understanding between Leo and his Pokémon. It was the main reason he was happy to accept his assistance in tracking down Iris. _How far I've grown_ , Trip considered. _Months ago asking for help would have been the last thing from my mind. Now, especially with Cilan gone back to Striaton, shaken, to be with his brothers…well, I couldn't imagine going on without it._

"Not bad, Trip" Leo called out. "But you're going to have to bulk up Sawk to break through a strong defensive move like _Light Screen_. And Snivy has to get better range on that _Vine Whip_!"

"That's why we're training," Trip responded. "Storming the Village of Dragons now would be foolish. I have to be sure we can defend ourselves when we're there."

As desperate as he was to get Iris back, Trip's pragmatic side had taken a hold of him ever since he had held Arke's body in his arms. His devastation at finding the body dissipated hugely after discovering that the girl had not been Iris, but laying on that cliff face, holding the poor girl's deceased form had reminded him of the startling consequences of the rash actions of people. He was determined not to make the same mistakes as the girl he had found, or the psychopath that had slit her throat from end to end. Assuming that she made it back to the Village unharmed, it really was the safest place for her.

 _Then why are you trying so hard to get her away from there?_

"You're not being selfish, you know."

Trip frowned, re-focusing on the scene before him. "Stop reading my thoughts, Leo. It's like you're trespassing."

Leo didn't apologise – Trip had noticed that this was something that he tended to avoid doing – but rather called his Pokémon back to him and walked towards his new friend. "I told you what Solosis showed me in the vision…betrayal, which we've seen…danger in the mountains, also…but the dragons. Dragons everywhere…the likes of which we haven't seen for years. Your story with Iris does not end here, Trip. And you'd be foolish to think she is safe there. Nowhere is safe from Team Plasma, Trip. Nowhere."

Trip rolled his eyes, not even bothering to hide his scepticism anymore. "Team Plasma, really? It was Team Rocket, Leo. We saw them with our own eyes…battled them with our own Pokémon. Team Plasma had nothing to do with Arke's murder."

Leo merely smiled, another habit that infuriated Trip when he was mad, and adjusted his glasses. "The Devil's greatest trick was convincing people he didn't exist, my friend. Come on out again, Solosis. Use Psychic!"

 **oOoOo**

 **Tune in next time to find out what is happening to our heroes! Don't forget to read/review/fave follow, any feedback is very much appreciated!**


	3. Changing of the Guard

As far as graves go, it was quite basic and plain – just a smattering of flowers on a small patch of grass fighting its way out of the dirt surrounding it, the large mountain towering above. Under the circumstances, it was the best that Trip could manage, and it had seemed a lot better than simply leaving Arke's body on the side of the mountain, never to be found. The boy sat next to the patted down mound of dirt, watching the sun rise with Snivy sleeping quietly next to him, little cream-coloured chest heaving in and out slowly.

"Sni…Sni…"

Iris had not told him much about Arke, or life in the Village; but from what Trip could tell, it was a world apart from the rest of the Unova Region. Not that this was a bad thing at all; if anything, it spiked Trip's interest to visit. He knew he would eventually have had to venture that way to challenge Drayden in any case, but somehow, the prospect of challenging such a formidable opponent so early in his quest frightened even him. From what he could gather, Drayden would hardly be happy about the happenings throughout the region, and a strange boy laying claim to one of his most talented Villagers was hardly going to be an easy conversation. Trip could only hope that, when the time came, the strength of his convictions would be enough.

He felt a sudden yearning to call somebody, anybody; but all of the people he knew either could not afford an XTransceiver, like his mother; or were not worth talking to. Luckily, Snivy seemed to be becoming increasingly restless on the ground. _Finally, some company_. The light morning breeze suddenly shifted directions, sending Trip's brown bangs down into his face, and he pushed them away with a light smile. "It's funny, isn't it?"

Snivy pulled itself up sleepily, as though unsure whether Trip was talking to it or not. The green snake nestled itself onto Trip's lap, looking wearily up at its trainer with curiosity. "When we left Nuvema Town together, Snivy, I was so sure that we would have at least three badges by now. I'd have my full set of six Pokémon, ready to train long-term for the Elite Four and all of the Championships around Unova. I'd be travelling alone, of course…with only my Pokémon to support me. But…"

The trainer seemed to falter, absent mindedly playing with the dirt covering Arke's grave. Snivy rubbed against Trip fondly, urging him on, as though understanding him perfectly. "…look at us now, huh. No badges, only three Pokémon, more companions than my mother had back in Nuvema Town over the years. But you know what? Ever since we lost Iris in Nacrene, I've barely been able to think of anything other than getting her back. All of that other stuff just doesn't seem so important now."

Snivy nipped Trip's elbow, and the trainer gasped before letting out a pained chuckle. "I know _you_ want those things! I know how hard you've been training…and we'll get them, I'm sure of it. But putting it all on hold, all for Iris…"

"…I just hope that we're doing the right thing."

Snivy nodded, but it wasn't this reaction that had Trip jumping up in surprise – it was what came next. The green coat on the Pokémon turned into a shimmering light, and the slight figure begin to shift and mould. Trip watched on in amazement as the shape grew, strengthening and lengthening, before what stood proudly before Trip was no longer a tired and weak Snivy. The creature reared onto its hind legs and gave a loud roar, announcing itself to the world around it.

" _Ser-vine!"_

 **oOoOo**

It was as though all of Ariadne's dreams and nightmares had come at once. Ignoring the occasional bystander sneaking curious peeks into the window of her cabin, hurriedly scared away by Elder's admonishing yells, she dabbed a damp cloth on Iris' forehead and slowly washed away the blood and dirt that had been caking her face for days. The girl's mouth was wide open, her unwashed teeth exposed in a snarled fashion, giving her the appearance more befitting of animal than human. Over in the corner, where years ago Arke had cried and cried upon Drayden's return, Elder tended to the equally exhausted Axew, who gratefully ate and drank whatever small morsel was placed in front of him. Ariadne carefully stripped the clothing off her daughter, placing them in a bucket of water outside the cabin, and began to use the cloth on her exposed form. Her nakedness did not worry Ariadne, it was natural for a mother to bathe her daughter, after all; but what concerned her was the many cuts and bruises all over Iris' body. Whatever had happened to her, it had not been pleasant.

This examination went on for some time, and it was not until she had reached Iris' ribs once more that she felt the piercing eyes on her. She looked up to find Iris' wide pupils upon her, studying her, as though an alien from outer space had descended to run tests on her. Relieved, she quickly sat up and began to rub her hand tenderly through her daughter's hair. "Iris…thank goodness you are alive…I was so worried about you…"

The purple-haired girl did not reply, but merely continued to stare blankly at her mother. Ariadne continued to pat her daughter, before her hand caught something in Iris' hair. It was a red bow, eerily familiar, as though she had seen it somewhere in the past.

"Iris…whose bow is this in your hair?"

As quick as a shot, Iris had jumped to her feet and pushed her mother's hands away from her hair, tearing out the front door of the cabin without so much as a whimper. The beaded curtain swayed in the breeze from the swift exit. Ariadne moved to follow, but Elder's voice called out from the corner, as Axew slept silently on her lap.

"Stay here, Ariadne. Let her be."

 **oOoOo**

Iris ran past Sioren, who dropped a handful of stones to cover his eyes at her nakedness. She ran past all of the cabins that came flooding back to her as a child. She ran past the outskirts of the Village, towards the woods that held such fond memories for her as a child. She ran and ran and ran, ignoring the cries of concerning coming from the increasingly far distance behind her. She ran until she was finally alone, in a small clearing next to the river, and finally fell to the ground, still silent.

She could not say how long she lay there for. It was as though a trance had come over her, and there was no way she could break herself out of it. A sudden chill came over her, and she realised with a jolt that she was stark naked. The damp muddy ground was getting to even her, and she slowly sat up, inadvertently brushing her hand against the bow whilst getting mud out of her long hair. Her hand lingered upon it, and she froze – but it had nothing to do with the temperature or her lack of clothes. She began to shake, lightly at first and then harder, until she was on the ground, rolling around. She began to throw her arms around wildly, hitting the ground with fury. She rolled onto her stomach and head-butted the ground so hard that she screamed, stars flashing before her eyes, but she continued to smack into the ground headfirst regardless. She scratched at the dirt and flung rocks into the bushes, sending the wild Drilbur and Pidove further into the darkness, away from the mad girl before them. And did she scream. She screamed, and screamed, and screamed, until she thought her lungs would burst then and there.

"'drill."

A strong claw clamped down on the girl from behind and brought her down to the ground, hard. All of the wind was knocked out of Iris as she made contact with the surface, and before she could fight back, the figure was on her, holding her down with sheer strength. She was about to scream once more, before looking up to see Excadrill staring at her, no discernible emotion in his expression. She refused to speak, staring up at her strong companion, desperately holding back the tears welling up inside her. They stayed like this for some time, before Excadrill relented, retracting his claws and falling atop Iris in a warm embrace. The girl did not return the hug, but merely lay there in the clearing, staring up at the stars, wondering how it had all come to this.

 **oOoOo**

Leo and Trip reached the busy road at noon, a steady stream of Pokémon trainers going back and forth both on foot and in various vehicles.

"I told you I knew the way."

"You cheated," Trip mocked. "Try doing it without your friends next time."

"Trip! Leo!"

A familiar voice called out to the two from down the road, and they both turned to find Officer Jenny rushing forward, their squabbling interrupted for the time being. In a light tan uniform with slightly shorter hair, Trip could tell instantly that she was not the same Jenny that he had met previously on his journey.

"Jenny from Icirrus City, right?"

 _Damn Leo._

"Yes, that's right," Jenny said, amused. "People can't normally tell my relatives and I apart."

Trip interjected, impatiently denying Leo the chance to boast of his abilities. "You were looking for us, Officer Jenny?"

"Yes, Trip. Cilan got in contact with the departments from all around Unova to let us know what happened in the mountains. We dispatched an emergency recovery team to retrieve the girl. I think it's only right that she be returned to her home, don't you?"

Trip bit his tongue, eager to escape this awkward conversation. _Face it head on_. "Officer, what happened in the mountains…"

"…was totally avoidable. I don't know why you felt the need to do off in some form of vigilante-style justice, but just in case you hadn't realised, we are here to serve and protect the citizens of Unova. Let us do our jobs."

Rage swelled up inside Trip's body, but he had learned quite quickly to pick his battles wisely. _Cops_. "Are you here to give us a lecture, or is there something else you wanted?"

Jenny narrowed her eyes at the insolence, but thought better of it to say something. _Think of what the boy has been through_. "Jump into my side cars, I'll give you a lift to Icirrus City. You both must be exhausted. We can talk about the whereabouts of Team Rocket on the way."

Leo and Trip followed Jenny to her specially-equipped vehicle, and Trip looked back towards the mountain range that had changed so much for him in such a short space of time. The motorcycle, now with Leo and Trip in a side car either side, took off quickly down the road, leaving a cloud of dust behind on the side of the road. As the cloud of dust dissipated, a large, round pink Pokémon stood in its wake, staring up the road angrily at the retreating trainers and officer.

"Cool, a Chansey! I thought you could only get one of those in Kanto!"

The curious trainer quickly ran towards the Chansey, Poke Ball in hand, but Chansey was having none of it. The pink blob suddenly _Transformed_ into a scary and brash Scyther, slashing its razor sharp scythe towards the young boy. He screamed, running in the opposite direction, leaving the fearsome beast to melt down to its proper form.

" _Ditto."_

 **oOoOo**

 **Trip is on his way to Icirrus City, and the prospect of facing Brycen for his first (retained!) Gym badge! Can Excadrill and Ariadne help Iris out of her breakdown? What dangers do Team Rocket and Ditto pose to our heroes? Tune in next time to find out!**


	4. A Pressing Issue

" **Zorua, wait for me!"**

The cheeky dark fox ignored the cries of its trainer, bounding ahead of him as their pair entered the outskirts of Icirrus City. The boy, focusing on his friend rather than the road ahead of him, completely missed the large puddle stretched over the surface. His foot slipped on a rock in the middle of the damp recess and he slipped, falling backwards and landing hard, sending water flying in all directions. The boy groaned, rubbing his throbbing hip, while Zorua merely danced around the puddle, chuckling madly.

"Thanks for nothing, Zorua. Oh…the camera!"

His hands flew to his back, but he was instantly grateful for the waterproof backpack he had invested in whilst in Castelia City. Slowly dragging himself to his feet, sodden through and through, a quick unclasp of the backpack confirmed that his camera and equipment had survived the fall unharmed. He breathed a huge sigh of relief – he had spent most of his savings on his recording kit, and if anything were to happen to it, well...he didn't fancy returning to the Driftveil Markets to earn the money again, that was for sure. Not that Zorua cared about his plight – it had transformed into a clumsy-looking Scraggy, mimicking the hard fall and letting its loose yellow trouser-like skin fall to the ground in a comical fashion. Zipping up his bag, Luke pushed past the joker and continued on into the Icirrus township.

Luke was glad that his travels had once again brought him to this area of Unova, as he had spent many happy days there with his family as a child. The long and clear pools scattered around town, like larger versions of the puddle he had stumbled into, were in abundance during the long winter months. A light snow fell around the area on the coldest days. Even in summer, the luscious trees dotting the landscape made for a beautiful setting for any holiday. This was not a holiday, though. This was a business trip.

Unfortunately for Luke, the calm holiday trips of the past were in direct contrast to the busy hive of activity he found in the centre of town. Just past the main shopping precinct and police station, a large group of reporters had gathered outside of the local Pokémon Gym. He let out a disappointed groan, but was hardly surprised; these media types tended to be competitive and cut-throat, and it was a little naïve to expect that he had been the only one tipped off about the events of the past few days in the nearby mountain range. A snapshot of the trainers involved would do a lot of good for his portfolio, but a one on one interview? He could barely contain his excitement at the thought. Sadly, he wasn't the only one with the same dream.

"Out of the way, kid," a gruff older reporter scoffed when he saw the younger Luke approaching. "Professionals only. Take a hike."

Luke merely grinned, quite used to this type of offstandish attitude the older members of the profession provided him with. He'd learned long ago that such a quip was mainly for show, ingrained into the culture, without much malice beneath the surface. "Professional? With a MC782? I thought they stopped making those ten years ago. You're way behind the game if you're not packing a MD792X."

Luke patted his backpack, and the reporter laughed heartily, enjoying the banter. "Only a bad workman relies on his tools, kid. No point hanging around here, anyway. No sign of the kid or his friends. I knew I should have snuck back to Striaton instead to chat with that Cilan fella. This reeks of dead end."

A younger female reporter behind the man scoffed at his pessimism. "But Brycen said he had information regarding the case. That doesn't sound like a dead end to me."

"Brycen also says that he'll go down in history as one of the finest working actors of all time," the man chortled, barely able to contain himself. "And if that's the truth, then I'm a better supermodel than Elesa."

 _Brycen_. Despite his frequent visits to the town, Luke had never met the man before. Not that one had to see him in person to know him – he juggled his Gym-responsibilities with a film career, working primarily through the Pokestar Studios in Virbank City. His filmography for the past few years had tended to divide opinion, with movies such as _Ekans on an Aircraft_ and _Sharpnado_ receiving mixed reviews at best.

And, with that thought, the door of the Gym slowly creaked open…

 **oOoOo**

 _Lights. Camera. Action._

"My friends…it is I!"

Brycen leapt out of the dark Gym with great flourish and landed on the steps in front of the reporters, who weren't quite sure whether to be impressed or bemused. He could never be accused of underselling himself – dressed resplendently in a long blue robe, reminiscent of something that could have been seen at the nearby Village of Dragons, with an intricate headband and mask covering his face in a mixture of blue, black and white. The tall man stood up proudly, flexing his considerable muscles at the pointing cameras, and boomed his voice towards them.

"I welcome you all to my great city today. I understand that you have all had to travel great distances to be here, so I shall endeavour to keep things brief. You see, when I started my career many moons ago I was…I shall admit…a bit of a maverick. I rarely listened to the instructions of my directors, my co-stars would often complain about the sheer brilliance of my improvised lines, the bar staff would…"

The terse male reporter in front of Luke coughed aloud and interjected. "What can you tell us of the incident in the mountains, Brycen? We hear that a girl has been killed?"

The girl next to him spoke up as well. "You said you have information regarding the events?"

Brycen bristled, annoyed at being interrupted in the middle or a glorious speech, but continued unabated. "Ah, yes. Indeed I do. We have all been following the tragic events of the past months, from the cowardly attack on the Striaton Gym and the death of the young boy there, to the alleged and as of yet unconfirmed reports of a young girl's death in the mountains over the past few days."

Brycen struck a heroic pose, and the older reporter next to Luke groaned. "I do not stand for terrorism – I think I showed as much in my startling performance in _The Krokorok Gang: Part 2._ As such, I pledge to donate 2% of all ticket sales for my upcoming epic, _Zebstrika Point_ , to the families affected by the Striaton Gym attack."

The Gym leader looked on as the reporters did not reply, merely looking at the man in disbelief. He did not seem to notice as several of the cameramen rolled their eyes and began to pack their equipment away.

"Stunned silence? I do not blame you, my loyal friends. But, as my father once said to me, talent and power should only ever be exceeded by compassion and generosity. So, I say to you again, we shall show the evil doers that corrode this fine region that the residents of Unova will not be blinded by…

" _ **There they are!"**_

Luke's head snapped around and followed the pointing finger of the female reporter. As she had exclaimed, just leaving the Icirrus Police Station, were Trip and Leo. The response from the horde was instantaneous. They turned their backs on the disbelieving Brycen, rushing over towards the weary-looking pair.

 **oOoOo**

"Oh, no…"

Trip barely had time to catch his breath upon leaving the Icirrus Police Station. The sudden appearance of flashing lights, whirring cameras and shouting reporters was enough to have even Trip on the back foot, looking for an escape from the burst of unwanted attention. Leo, on the other hand, was lapping up the attention, answering questions from left, right and centre.

"… _can you tell us about what happened?"_

"I'm not sure how much I can divulge at this stage…but it would appear to me that a conspiracy has been in place to target young trainers from the Village of Dragons."

"… _is it true that a girl was murdered?"_

"It isn't my place to say."

" _Who is behind this madness? What cause do they have?"_

Leo's eyes widened in excitement, and Trip's eyes rolled. He caught a glimpse of an odd man in tribal robes at the back of the media horde, but he was soon lost amongst the reporters and cameramen.

"I am of the belief that Team Plasma has risen again to concoct this nefarious plan. Who has more to gain out of draining Drayden's resources and power…even gaining revenge for Drayden's role in the fall of Ghetsis into the Giant Chasm? Three agents from Team Rocket in the Kanto region were at the scene, but I believe they are mere pawns in a multi-national conspiracy led by Team Plasma to…"

It was at this moment, much to Trip's relief and astonishment, that Brycen chose to intervene. Pushing his way through the crowd, he stood in front of Leo and stared down Trip in annoyance. "What is the meaning of this? I called a press conference for myself, you can not merely hijack my time in the sun for your own purposes!"

Leo moved to reply but Trip interjected, unimpressed by the entirety of the scene before him. "You can have them. I'm not interested in self-promotion."

The stinging tone in his words hit Brycen hard, and the Gym leader stepped forward, suddenly toe to toe with the shorter boy. He couldn't hide his smile at the tattered clothes, the dirty brown hair. _Him? A hero? I'll show them a hero._ "What is your name, boy?"

The reporters continued filming, waving on their cameramen to zoom in on the discussion. Trip pretended not to notice, hating the attention. "Trip. Am I right in assuming that you are a local dancer of some sorts? Maybe a ballet instructor?"

A hush fell over the crowd watching, and an enraged Brycen glared at the cameras as though wishing to shriek at them all to turn off and disappear for good. But he managed to compose himself and, turning back to the brash young man smiling before him, returned serve the best way he knew how. "You are a very confident young man, Trip…much like a young me. Am I correct in assuming you have come to Icirrus City to challenge my Gym?"

 _Well played._ Trip faltered slightly, his eyes switching between the expectant cameras and the Poke Balls sitting in his belt. _Challenging the Iccirus City so early on my journey? This was not the way that I planned it…Striaton, Nacrene, Castelia, Nimbasa, Driftveil, Mistralton and then, finally, Icirrus…two thirds of my current team weak against Brycen's ice types…no. I can't win this battle in my current state. There is nothing to be gained from battling this fool. Don't be too proud to walk away and…_

"I haven't come to challenge your Gym, Brycen. I've come to defeat your Gym."

 _Damn it._

The Gym leader, as though a mind reader, smiled broadly. "Excellent to hear. Just one thing…it would seem a horrible waste to have all of these lovely people here only to have them go home empty handed…what do you say to a televised Gym battle, Trip? Beamed all around the Unova region for everybody to witness. Everybody."

Luke looked around to find the murmuring of excitement buzzing around the press pack. Reporters were very rarely allowed to witness a Gym battle, let alone broadcast it. The obvious animosity between the two was being strongly felt by all present. Even Zorua, imitating the young female reporter, much to her confusion only metres away, had given up on its annoying pursuits to look at Trip, the young man seemingly hesitant to come up with his response.

 _You're not ready for this. Use your head, not your heart. Don't walk away from the carefully constructed plan you had to become the strongest trainer in Unova. This is not the way that happens._

"Bring it on."

 _Damn it._

 **oOoOo**

All around the Unova region, people sat down and watched the press conference on the news that night.

In Striaton City, Cilan left his brothers, haggling with the construction workers, to the small temporary television set on the side wall of the still decimated Gym. A pang of guilt ran through the man's heart as he watched Trip defiantly challenge Brycen, before the screen drifted away to an advertisement for the televised battle, set to be hosted tomorrow…live for all to see.

In Nacrene City, Lenora gave a satisfied laugh and sipped her glass of wine. _Justice, you young fool._

In Nuvema Town, Professor Juniper ran from her lab towards the edge of town, well aware that Trip's mother, in all likelihood, would not have access to a working television. She banged on the door, almost bringing it off its hinges, and it slowly opened to reveal a pale and shaking face. The excited Professor entered, Trip's confused mother closing the door behind herself.

In another part of Unova, a man thanked a lady as she placed down the steaming cup of coffee in front of him. He didn't even bother with a quick glance around the empty pink dining hall as he pulled out a shiny silver hip flask, pouring a strong smelling whiskey into the drink. He grabbed a spoon and stirring it slowly, paying attention to nothing else around him. The server, as bored as the man, flicked on a television on the wall and began to watch the news broadcast in interest.

"I am of the belief that Team Plasma has risen again…"

 _Team Plasma?_ The man jumped to his feet, pushing the girl out of the way. She gave a cry of annoyance, but he did not care. She mumbled and turned back away to the counter, hurrying out of sight. The man continued to watch, mouth dropping open.

"…even gaining revenge for Drayden's role in the fall of Ghetsis into the Giant Chasm? Three agents from Team Rocket in the Kanto region were at the scene, but I believe they are mere pawns in a multi-national conspiracy led by Team Plasma to…"

 _No. It cannot be. Not again._

The man, grabbing his coffee and about to run from the room, was quickly held back as the camera shifted onto a skinny, brown-haired boy in a tattered shirt and an angry expression on his face. The man dropped the mug, which smashed into the floor into a million tiny pieces. He did not notice the hot coffee sloshing onto his leg, and nor did he care. All of his attention was taken by the boy standing on screen, as defiantly as he remembered him, all those years ago.

 _Son?_

 **oOoOo**

 **Tune in next time for a smashing battle between Brycen and Trip! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Imitation Games

_**Bleh!**_

Trip hurled once more into the toilet in front of him, small chunks of his sandwich for lunch spraying against the side of the bowl. His heart beat nearly out of his chest and a cold, clammy sweat dripped off his hands as he wiped his forehead. His chest felt as though it was going to burst, and his head felt hot to the touch. He had not felt this way in many years – the last time from memory was his first day of school – but the worst part of the ordeal was the knowledge that he had brought it upon himself.

 _You can't win this battle. You're not ready. You were a fool to accept his challenge._

Shaking his head, Trip knew that the logical angel on his shoulder was only half-right. There was never any chance of him refusing the challenge, especially in front of all of those cameras. Looking weak in front of such a large audience just wasn't on his wish list. _Better to look weak in front of the media today than just thrashed in a battle in front of all of Unova tomorrow. All of Unova…_

The enormity of the probable crowd hit Trip once more, and the boy lurched forward again to dry heave into the toilet. The Pokémon Centres creature comforts even extended to the bathroom, the pink walls and smiling pictures of Pokémon belying the dread felt by the boy on the floor. _Well, if you're going to be sick, this is the place to do it._

 _ **Bleh!**_

 **oOoOo**

Trip wobbled on his feet back out the main foyer of the Pokémon Centre, where Nurse Joy was waiting for him with a smiling Audino, pushing a cart full of Pokeballs. "Your Pokémon are all healed and healthy, Trip. Good luck for tomorrow!"

The boy smiled weakly and grabbed his cache, sliding them back faithfully into his belt. He was soon joined by Leo, himself placing some Pokeballs into his coat pocket. "Cilan sent back Swoobat and Sigilyph…the FTD is safely back at the lab, as well. I knew they would be enough to get one man back by themselves. Had a good chat to the man, he seems confident that the Striaton Gym should be rebuilt and fully functional again in a matter of days…which is good news, the number of annoyed trainers coming out of Nuvema Town was building up steadily."

Trip noticed Leo sliding a third Pokeball into his pocket – another strong, secret Psychic type? Now didn't seem the time to ask about it. "Did Cilan ask about Iris? Or what we're doing?"

Leo shook his head at Trip's obvious annoyance. "He did not say anything as such, Trip…but Cilan is very apologetic. You can't blame a man for panicking at what you saw in the mountains. The initial reaction to run home is not an uncommon one, you know."

"You didn't," Trip spat. "And I didn't. I thought he cared about Iris. About us."

The boy smacked his hand into the counter and grimaced at the impact. "I'm starting to remember why feelings are overrated."

He walked away, through the doors of the Pokémon Centre, and headed into the township with his head down. He ignored the people walking past him, whispering, pointing at him, with some giggling at the prospect of such a young and inexperienced trainer beating their local hero, Brycen. Leo took the third Pokeball out of his pocket and twirled it around his hand, thinking deeply to himself.

"Trip can't win tomorrow without our help."

 **oOoOo**

"Hey, Trip! Wait up!"

Trip ignored the cries of the boy, yet another heckler, he figured. The attention had been relentless since the conference, and all he truly wanted was to escape it and bury deep into the ground, like Iris' Excadrill. _Iris._ He wondered where she was, what she would have thought about him challenging Brycen. She probably would have approved, her bull-at-a-gate style suiting the brash decisions he had been making since she had been taken by Team Rocket. What he would have given to have her there, to ask her advice for the battle, to show off his newly acquired Freeze Badge to her after defeating Brycen easily…

 _Could it be?_

Trip stopped in his tracks, his mouth dropping open. Next to the police station, in the rustling bushes, he could see a very familiar looking purple tuft of hair sticking out the top. He approached slowly, warily, as though expecting a trap, or Team Rocket to burst from the bush and chuck him in a burlap sack. Mere metres away, he could tell it was Iris' hair. _She's found me! She saw the broadcast!_

He grabbed forward and grabbed the hair, pulling gently, but what appeared was not Iris, but a small black fox that giggled incessantly at his shocked face. His heart dropped as he released the Pokémon, which fell to the ground with a spiral and continued to mock him. The Zorua, which he recognised from his studies, had transformed the top of its head to hold Iris-like purple hair instead of its usual pointed ears. The boy, yelling from the distance, finally caught up to Trip and picked up Zorua with an apologetic look upon his face.

"Zorua, stop that! It isn't funny!"

The fox stopped giggling, brushing its tail in the boy's face until he dropped it, then continued to laugh as it ran back down the road, purple hair receding and returning to its usual pointed ears. It was soon out of sight, and Trip's heavy heart slowly began to rise again. The boy again turned to Trip, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry about that, Trip. Zorua has a…sick…sense of humour…"

Trip didn't respond, so the boy awkwardly continued. "I'm Luke. I…I was at the press conference, when you accepted Brycen's challenge. That was really brave, you know. Brycen's supposed to be an amazing Gym leader, not that I've ever seen him battle or anything."

"So you're a reporter?"

The distrust in Trip's voice was clear, and Luke moved to ease his concerns instantly. "Not quite. I'm more into the freelance life. I'm making a documentary about young trainers in the Unova Region right now. Your battle with Brycen should be the crown jewel in my film so far!"

"Glad that I can be of assistance," Trip quipped, voice laden with impatient sarcasm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get out of the street before I get stampeded to death."

Luke looked behind the pair to see a group of the reporters chasing them, cameras at the ready. The boy smiled. _This is my chance._ "You don't really seem like the media-loving type, Trip. If you'd like, my family have a holiday cabin a short walk out of town…I'm sure if we sneak away there, you'll be safe from the media! You can even stay the night, if you'd like!"

 _More charity. Great._ As much as Trip wanted to turn down the offer, the impending crush of reporters allowed him to overlook his disdain for handouts. Nodding his head, he quickly followed the shorter boy out of the township, leaving the others behind in their wake.

 **oOoOo**

Trip fell back onto the soft bed and let all of the air leave his body in a long sigh. Luke's ulterior motives had raised their head as soon as they had reached the cabin, question after question about Iris and the mountain incident being bombarded his way, and eventually they had become too repetitive to ignore. He had mumbled some half-hearted answers over dinner before quickly retreating to his room, citing the need for some sleep before the big battle tomorrow. Leo, who had arrived shortly before dinner ( _Of course I knew where you were, and when dinner was!)_ backed him up despite Luke's protestations. He didn't seem like a bad kid, just overly eager, and Trip was grateful that he had offered up a warm bed for the night.

He was almost asleep when he heard it – a low humming sound, sort of like a refrigerator that badly needed a service. It sounded like it was coming from the corridor, and he pulled himself out of bed to edge towards the door, inch by inch. He leaned into it and put his ear against it, but the sound had disappeared. In fact, all sound had disappeared. It was as silent as anything. He was just about to open the door and investigate when a yawn came from the bed, followed by a familiar tired voice.

"Trip…come back to bed."

The boy span around to find Iris looking up at him, in a cream coloured nightgown, safely tucked underneath the silky sheets. He did not bother getting overly excited. _Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me._

"Go away, Zorua. Leave me alone."

"Zorua?" the girl giggled. "My ears aren't that pointy, are they? Stop being silly and come back to me."

Suspicious, the boy made his way back to the bed, lowering himself down next to the girl, who smiled at him broadly. His breathing got slightly deeper as she took her in, the flowery scent of her hair drifting into his nostrils. _There is no way that Zorua could know about the way Iris' hair smelled._

"Who are you, really?"

"I could be asking you the same thing," Iris whispered, shifting closer to the boy. "What's wrong? You don't seem like yourself. Is it…the battle tomorrow?"

She rested her hand on the boy's knee, and his heart beat even faster. She was warm to the touch, a nice contrast with the chills running down his spine. _She isn't real. Don't be drawn in._ But the fantasy was far too enticing to ignore. "I can't beat Brycen, Iris. No matter what way I look at it. He's too strong, and it's too early in my journey. Maybe if I had trained for longer, caught more Pokémon and gotten more badges on my way. He has the type advantages on most of my Pokémon. It just isn't in my favour."

The girl frowned, staring deeply into her partner's eyes. "What happened to the cocky boy I met in Nuvema Town, all those moons ago? What happened to the boy that said no to the Basic Badge because he was so sure he could beat all three leaders with only two Pokémon? What happened to the boy that thought he could tame me?"

The girl laughed at her last statement, a high pitched giggle that Trip couldn't help but smile at. "I know this wasn't the way that you wanted your journey to go, Trip…but what do they say about the best laid plans? They're rubbish, that's what. Do you think I planned on losing you in Nacrene City? No…but look where it has gotten us, now. You won me back…and you won me, full stop. Without all the troubles we went through on the way, we would never have ended up together. You never would have become the Unova Champion. I never would have become a Dragon Master."

The girl reached down and lifted Trip's shirt, rubbing his stomach, where a large bruise had appeared. _Where the hell did that come from?_ The girl frowned, concerned.

"Think about where you have come from. What happened to you with your father. You didn't let that stop you from becoming the trainer, and man, you are today. You've been overcoming the odds all your life, and that's one of the things I love about you. I don't know what I'd do if you lost the faith in yourself to win from any position, no matter what you are up against."

She smiled, running her hand over Trip's cheek. The boy had ceased worrying about the oddness of the situation. This was all of his dreams coming at once, and he never wanted to leave. "Believe in yourself. I do. You'll beat Brycen tomorrow. I know you will."

"And if I don't?

"Then Haxorus and I will kick your ass," Iris teased. "Don't let the fear of failure worry you, Trip. Just embrace the moment."

The girl moved to kiss the boy, and he closed his eyes to reciprocate. However, the contact never came. He opened his eyes to find himself alone in the room, standing next to the door, ear against the door. He turned back to the bed desperately, but Iris had gone. His heart and head pounded, and he swung the door open, but there was nothing there but a dark corridor. He pulled himself back to the bed, pulling himself in, and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He pulled his shirt up to find the mysterious bruise, but it had disappeared as well.

 _What the hell just happened?_

Real or not, Iris' words rang in his head. The boy smiled, closed his eyes, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

 **oOoOo**

Leo opened the bedroom door and Musharna slowly drifted in, still glowing a light pink.

"Thank you, Musharna. Return."

Musharna gave a quiet cry as it returned to its Pokeball, exhausted. Leo smiled and walked to the window, looking out upon the magical hills and ponds that surrounded the outskirts of Icirrus. "She's right, you know. He'll beat Brycen. I can feel it too."

 **oOoOo**

 **Tune in next time for Brycen vs. Trip. Can Trip win and finally gain, and keep, his first Gym badge?**


	6. Agent of Shields - Trip vs Brycen Part 1

Trip had long heard stories about Brycen and the Icirrus Gym; he hadn't bothered listening, as stories and heresy hadn't interested him in the least, but the research he had done certainly did justice to the marvel before him. The whole structure was constructed from ice, and the small flakes that fell from the roof high above made Trip shiver as they hit any exposed skin on his body. Across from him, on the other side of the slick icy field, Brycen stood pensively, as though waiting for the right moment to strike forward and attract the attention of the crowd that had gathered to watch. And what a crowd it was. Word had clearly spread around the area about the highly anticipated battle, with many locals pushing and shoving in an attempt to gain a good viewing platform around the large press contingent that enveloped the front rows in the stands. To the side, Trip could see Leo and Luke sitting, the younger man with his trusty camera at the ready and the less trusty Zorua jumping from head to head in the crowd, drawing yell after yell.

He had decided not to share his visions of Iris the night before with the two. He barely knew Luke, after all. And Leo? While he liked and respected the scientist's ambition and power, he couldn't help but feel like he was a little mad…and Trip was not keen for Leo to return the favour. In a strange way, even though he knew that it had all been a dream of sorts, just seeing Iris and hearing her calming voice and reason had centred him. A small voice of logic called out from the back of his brain. _Brycen is a powerful Gym leader. There is no shame in losing to him in the current state you're in. Put in a good show, and you'll be respected for it._

But a larger part of Trip's brain quickly overrode such thoughts, and a red haze began to seep down over his vision, turning the icy battlefield into a dark, crimson red. _To hell with losing with honour. There's no such thing! You're Trip. You cannot lose. You will not lose. Believe in your Pokémon. They sure as hell believe in you._

Brycen slowly extended one hand out and the media fell silent, their cameras unwavering from the smiling leader's face. "This is it, Trip. A three verses three battle, the first of us without any fit and able Pokémon to be declared the loser…the vanquished…in front of all of Unova. This is your last chance, boy…do you want to walk away?"

Trip joined the leader in grinning, ignoring the cameras panning in on his face. "I was going to ask the same thing of your Pokémon, given they won't be able to walk out of here when I'm done with them."

"Very well," Brycen called out theatrically. "That won't be an issue for my first champion, regardless. Time to begin! Come on out, Cryogonal!"

The familiar burst of light sparked the room into action and, without a hint of sound, the silent but deadly Cryogonal floated in front of Brycen, shimmering in the light from the flashing cameras. Trip responded instantly, hurling his own ball into the arena, with the slim but powerful form of Servine joining its opponent on the ice. "Ser-vine!"

Brycen laughed at the green snake, pointing in a mocking fashion. "A grass type…in my Gym? Surely you jest! My ice team will destroy this pretender in a matter of seconds! Cryogonal, let's finish this in the one foul swoop…action! Use _Ice Beam_!"

The floating crystal shone a bright blue and a burst of icy energy flew from the glowing blue point at its front. Servine did not have to be told what to do, and dodged with relative ease. "Good, Servine. Now, hit back with a Leaf Blade!"

Cryogonal, lacking the pure speed and agility of Servine, did not have the same success at dodging. Servine flew through the air, tail bright and green, and somersaulted straight into the crystal, scoring a direct hit. It flew back towards Brycen, who looked impressed at the power, but unconcerned all the same. "Not bad," Brycen conceded. "I can see that you have raised your Servine well. Fine…let's treat it with a bit more respect, shall we? Cryogonal, use _Reflect_!"

Cryogonal sparkled a light pink colour and a small shield enveloped the field in front of it. Trip grimaced; as soon as he had seen the Pokémon appear before him, he knew it was going to be a highly defensive and tactical battle. "Servine, you can't use your physical attacks against a _Reflect_ that strong! Let's use _Leaf Tornado_ instead!"

Servine jumped into the air and began to whip its tail around to create the tornado, but Brycen was prepared for this eventuation as well. "Cryogonal, follow up the _Reflect_ with your delicious _Light Screen_!"

The pink shield was followed by a shimmering yellow light that drifted down and joined it, creating an array of amazing colours that had the press contingent gushing in admiration. Servine, though, was too busy focusing on the attack to notice. The _Leaf Tornado_ shot through the field and smashed into the barriers, but when it dissipated, the shields remained and no damage had been done. Servine looked aghast at the lack of success from the powerful move, sneaking a glance back at Trip, who frowned and looked at the ground thoughtfully. _A Reflect and a Light Screen? But that means that my normal attacks and special attacks won't do a thing._

Brycen, however, did not intend on allowing Trip time to reconsider his plans. "Hit him while he's down, Cryogonal! _Ice Beam_ , now!"

The icy beam shot through the barriers and straight into Servine, who fell onto the ground with a cry. _Super effective._ "Don't give up now," Trip shouted. "Let's see just how strong those defences are. Use _Vine Whip_!"

Servine's vines shot out of its back and began to lash the shields over and over. Pink and yellow sparks flew around the arena, drawing another sea of happy cries from the crowd, but the shields both remained strong. Trip grit his teeth and continued to yell encouragement of sorts. "Keep going, Servine! We've trained hard for this! Keep going!"

Servine, just like its trainer, kept the determined look on its face and kept smashing away. Cryogonal just floated in safety, quite content to wear Servine out through its unabated attack. A small crack appeared in the shield, and a single vine shot through and smacked Cryogonal in the side. It gave a surprised cry and faltered slightly, its concentration broken, with both the _Reflect_ and the _Light Screen_ flickering in and out of focus. "Great work, Servine! Follow it up with a…"

"Cryogonal, _Recover_."

Bright yellow spots appeared around the Pokémon and slowly were absorbed into it. In an instant, Cryogonal was floating confidently once more, back to full health. Trip tried his best to remain calm and not lose his temper, but he was finding it quite difficult. _Light Screen, Reflect and Recover? It's like an attacking trainer's nightmare!_ "Stop hiding behind your defensive tactics and fight me like a man," Trip called out. "My Servine would wipe the floor with your Cryogonal in a fair fight!"

"You've got much to learn about different styles of battle techniques," Brycen chided. "Cryogonal, use _Reflect_ and _Light Screen_ once more!"

Before Trip had a chance to attack, the two coloured shields appeared once more to protect Cryogonal from harm. _If I leave Servine out there, one of those Ice Beams will eventually put him down. Be flexible. Remember your training with Pidove. That's the only chance you'll have to knock Cryogonal out._ "Servine, return! Come on out, Pidove!"

Servine was quickly replaced by Pidove, who flew around the arena a few times before perching in front of the media, flexing its tiny wings in a showy attempt to impress. A majority either looked away or chortled. Luke just looked confused, scratching his head along with Zorua, imitating a nearby reporter. _A Pidove, such a weak and common Bird type, against an Ice type? And I thought Trip was meant to be good!_

"Recalling your Servine was a wise move," Brycen announced. "But to replace it with a Pidove? Well, it is like shuffling deck chairs on a sinking ship! Cryogonal, use _Ice Beam_!"

The beam shot out from behind the shields and narrowly missed Pidove, which athletically managed to twirl away and fly high up into the Gym. _If only I can get above Cryogonal and avoid the shields, I can…_

It was as though Brycen had read his mind. "Cryogonal, don't let Pidove get above you! Rotate, and use _Ice Beam_ once more, directly upwards!"

Cryogonal rotated upon itself, and before Trip knew it, it had its back to the floor and was pointing directly upwards towards Pidove. The shields had followed, sitting above Cryogonal, keeping it safe from any attack from above. The _Ice Beam_ shot out and just grazed Pidove's wing, sending it crashing down to the icy floor. Pidove cried out in pain as the crystal rotated once more and slowly began to float in Pidove's direction, the small bird struggling to gain any traction to pull itself up off the ice. "Pidove, we'll only have one chance at this! When it gets close, lunge forward and use _Quick Attack_! Give it all you've got!"

Cryogonal floated over Pidove, ready to land the knockout blow, when Pidove shot up at the speed of light and smacked straight into the shields. The bird shot back with a cry of pain, and Cryogonal cried in amusement at the attack, but Trip could have sworn he noticed a tiny crack appearing in the shields. "Pidove, keep attacking the very same spot! As quickly as you can!"

Pidove shot forward once, twice, thrice and hit the same spot on the shields before Cryogonal could even fire off a single _Ice Beam_. Trip smiled – a crack had appeared in the shields, and Cryogonal's weakness had yet to be noticed by Brycen nor the Pokémon itself, who continued to try to strike the bird with powerful yet slow Ice Beams. One final Quick Attack saw the shields break, Pidove dropping to the ground in exhaustion and members of the media clapping their support for the underdog. Brycen did not appear concerned in the slightest. "You can take down my shields all you want, Trip. I always have more up my sleeve! Cryogonal, replenish your…"

"I don't think so!" Trip bellowed. "Pidove, show them what we've learned! Use _Taunt_!"

Pidove shot forward once more, placing its tiny head through the shimmering forms of soon-to-be-shields, and whistled a mocking tone that reached Cryogonal just in time. The yellow and pink forms in front of it failed, blinking out and disappearing, leaving Cryogonal and Brycen both shocked in place. "Try using your non-attacking moves now, Brycen," Trip called out in obvious joy. "Now it's an even playing field."

"Hardly," Brycen roared in anger. "You've overplayed your hand with this pitiful Pidove. Use _Ice Beam_!"

At that range, _Ice Beam_ was never going to miss. The beam scored a direct hit into Pidove's face, and the bird fell to the ground, well and truly fainted at the super effective attack. Trip frowned as he returned the vanquished Pokémon; he'd known well and truly that using _Taunt_ would get Pidove into firing range, but it had been a sacrifice worth making. Now, he had an even money chance of knocking out Cryogonal and getting that badge. "You did exactly what you had to do – great job, Pidove. Don't let him down…come back out, Servine!"

Servine replaced Pidove and immediately looked happier with no pink or yellow shields protecting Cryogonal. Trip did not want to waste any time before the _Taunt_ wore off. "Servine, use _Vine Whip_ to pull Cryogonal into place for a _Leaf Tornado_!"

Brycen smiled as he watched the vines shoot out from behind Servine and snake their way through the air. _You young fool. You have underestimated my Cryogonal's speed for the last time._ "Cryogonal, time to stop feinting! Use _Ice Beam_ on the vine and keep Servine in place yourself!"

Cryogonal shot the Ice Beam at a speed that Trip had scarcely seen before; given what he had seen in the battle up to this point, it hardly seemed believable. With incredible accuracy, the Ice Beam first struck the vine approaching from the left, and then the one from the right. Large blocks of ice formed on the front of both vines and they fell to the floor. Servine tried with all its might to retract the vines, but the ice was far too strong. Servine was helpless, stuck in the middle of the battlefield, Cryogonal floating directly above it.

"But your Cryogonal isn't that fast!" Trip yelled out angrily. "Servine should be able to outmanoeuvre it!"

"A great actor passes on many tricks to his Pokémon," Brycen retorted with amusement, the flashing cameras influencing his heroic pose. "But I am afraid for Servine, this is the end of his scene. Finish it with _Ice Beam_!"

With the newly revealed speed, Cryogonal shot down the most powerful Ice Beam yet at Servine, who gave one final cry before being enveloped by the ice. When the haze had drifted away from the impact, the half-frozen Servine was laying still on the ground, well and truly fainted as Pidove had been mere minutes earlier. Returning Servine to his ball silently, trying to ignore Brycen's jeers and shouts to the press in the crowd, he fumbled with the final active Pokeball in his belt.

 _Well. It's all up to you now._ The ball, drifted through the air, and the shimmering light revealed Trip's last hope against Brycen's three remaining warriors.

" _Sawk."_

 **oOoOo**

 **Brycen's powerful and speedy Cryogonal has taken care of Pidove and Servine, leaving Trip with only Sawk remaining! Can Trip make a remarkable comeback to get the Freeze Badge, or does he still have much to learn about battling techniques? Tune in next time to find out!**


	7. Counter Action - Trip vs Brycen Part 2

Sawk calmly stood in place, silently surveying the battlefield. The blue Pokémon did not waste a single glance at the press horde, clamouring over themselves to get a better view at Trip's final Pokémon. Trip's final hope. The whole scenario felt like the climax of an action movie, and Brycen seemed to sense this, smiling at the appearance of the strong Pokémon opposite. Though, if the man was concerned, he did not show it. Cryogonal floated in place confidently, as though buoyed by taking out both Servine and Pidove with relative ease. Not a word was spoken between the pair, before Brycen broke the silence by barking out an order.

"Test out Sawk's strength, Cryogonal! Use _Ice Beam_!"

Trip hid a smile as the floating crystal powered itself up to fire the beam at Sawk. Thanks to Pidove's _Taunt_ , Cryogonal was limited to attacking moves only for the time being, rendering _Light Screen_ , _Reflect_ and _Recover_ useless. _He's too proud to switch Cryogonal out, even if it is the right tactical move. He's more like you than he realises. Use that to your advantage._

"Sawk, dodge it and use _Karate Chop_!"

Sawk jumped high up just in time, avoiding the powerful Ice Beam, before flipping through the air and landing a grazing blow on Cryogonal, which cried out in surprise. Sawk landed deftly behind the creature, pulling the karate belt around his waist with a silent pleasure. Brycen frowned, yelling out instructions as Cryogonal spun around the face its opponent once more. "He's at a closer range now, Cryogonal! Finish this with a well-placed _Ice Beam_!"

"Sawk, counter it with a well-timed _Karate Chop_!"

The beam shot out at a rapid rate, but the decidedly fresher Sawk was up to the task. He thrust his hand out at the perfect moment, stopping the attack in its tracks. The _Ice Beam_ froze solid, dropping to the floor, leaving a nice and convenient pathway for Sawk to attack its opponent from. "Quickly, Sawk! Run up the ice and finish Cryogonal with another _Karate Chop_!"

Cryogonal, trying to get rid of the ice shard protruding from its front down to the floor, never saw the attack coming. With great speed and agility, Sawk ran silently up the ice-stairs and landed a direct hit with _Karate Chop_ on Cryogonal. The floating crystal gave a surprised cry before flying down to the floor, crashing down hard. Sawk landed right on top of it, as if to rub in the defeat, before bouncing back to stand in front of the – finally – triumphant challenger.

 **oOoOo**

"What an impressive Sawk!" Professor Juniper cooed, leaning in to the television set amongst the cheers of the others in the Pokémon Lab. "Your son is making quite the comeback; don't you think?"

Trip's mother merely watched the screen, silently, her top lip trembling at the sight of her son on the screen in front of her. Juniper smiled, patting the odd woman on the back, before turning her attentions back to the screen.

 **oOoOo**

If Trip had been hoping for Brycen to panic at the sight of Sawk's strength, he was to be disappointed. The Gym leader returned his first Pokémon with a proud smile, before thrusting his second out onto the battlefield. In Cryogonal's place stood a slim and powerful-looking weasel-like Pokémon, that Trip instantly recognised as a Weavile. The selection surprised him somewhat. _A Weavile? A Dark and Ice type? If Sawk lands one single hit on this thing, he's toast. What is Brycen playing at?_

Brycen laughed at his opponent's confusion. "I know what you're thinking, but this is no ordinary Weavile. Besides, you think you're the only one that can win with unusual tactics and a taste for flair and elegance? I think not! Weavile, let's show Sawk the true might that can only come with experience! Use _Screech_!"

The black weasel gave little warning as it opened its mouth, revealing small but sharp teeth to go with its intimidating and slender claws, and shrieked a horrible, high-pitched sound that reverberated around the entire Gym. One or two of the lenses on the cameras cracked, and Luke's hands flew straight to his head. Zorua was more fortunate, merely allowing the ears on its borrowed human face to disappear, before turning to the people around it and laughing at their pain and discomfort. Luke would have scolded his friend, but more pressing matters were taking place, as he saw a somewhat-affected Sawk trying to pump itself up.

"Shake it off, Sawk! Counter that with a _Bulk Up_!"

Sawk reached down and grabbed the karate belt and pulled it hard. The Pokémon shimmered in spot and its already impressive muscles seemed to quiver. In an instant, the intimidating Pokémon was more so – bigger, more defined, and pumped for battle. Brycen did not look impressed, with his Weavile not taking much note of the bulky figure standing proudly before him. "Is that the best that you can do, Trip? Your Sawk needs more training, that I can already tell. So weak…so pathetic…an insult to this Gym!"

 _He's goading you. Trying to trick you into using the move again. Don't fall for it…he'll use Snatch, and steal the impact of the Bulk Up. He was just testing to see what moves Sawk can use that he can manipulate. Don't play into his hands._ "Don't listen to him and fall for his _Snatch_ attack! Sawk, you've got plenty of power now already! Use _Karate Chop_ and take down Weavile!"

Brycen frowned. _Curses. He didn't allow me to use Snatch to increase Weavile's power…but perhaps this will work, regardless._ "Weavile, keep Sawk back with a powerful _Icy Wind_!"

Weavile, trying to ignore the rushing Sawk, leaped back and opened its mouth wide, shooting out a howling gale towards Sawk. Wisps of snow and hail joined the fray and began to smack into Sawk, who kept on running through the attack. He slowed, but Trip yelled out encouragement from behind. "Keep going, Sawk! I know you can do this! All you need is one hit, and he'll go down!"

Sawk, slowing further, kept pushing on, fist at the ready for the fatal attack. Brycen, realising the inevitability of Sawk reaching its target, called out in desperation. "Pull out, Weavile! Hit him with _Punishment_!"

Trip grimaced. _This was going to hurt. Punishment_ was a move that dealt more damage to those Pokémon that had enhanced stats. Using _Bulk Up_ increased both Sawk's attack and defense, which meant the attack was going to be very powerful indeed. _At least it is a Dark type move. Sawk can make it through this duel. I know he can._

Weavile's claws shone a deep purple and the _Icy Wind_ quickly disappeared, enabling Sawk to pick up speed and rush towards Weavile unabated. They both struck at the same time. Sawk lunged forward with his fierce Karate Chop, and it was quickly intercepted by Weavile's powerful _Punishment_. The ground around the two shook, sending fragments of ice flying around the arena. When the mess had cleared, only one of the two Pokémon remained standing, the other motionless on the ground, claws flayed in all directions.

"Sawk!"

 **oOoOo**

Cilan gave a triumphant cry as he saw Weavile laying on the ice, quickly turning into a shimmering light as Brycen returned his warrior to its Pokeball. _He can do this! He's beginning to believe!_

"You know, this restaurant is a family business," Chili groaned, walking past with a large stack of boxes in his arms, heading straight for the kitchen. "We're not going to get it up and running again with you standing around doing nothing."

Ignoring the jibe, the green-haired trainer turned back to the television with a fluttering heart. Trip was one Pokémon away from doing the unthinkable in front of all of Unova.

"You can do it, Sawk."

 **oOoOo**

"Very clever indeed," Brycen conceded, his heart warming along with the battle before him. "How did you know that I was going to use Snatch to steal the power of _Bulk Up_?"

"Studying the methods of every Unova leader for years has taught me their tricks and hidden moves," Trip declared boldly. "I wasn't about to fall for such a basic manoeuvre."

Brycen waved his finger condescendingly. "But, boy, you almost fell for my _Punishment_ trap. You aren't as good as you say, you know."

"A calculated risk," Trip replied. "One you have to take when you're behind in a Pokémon battle. I had the faith in Sawk that he could land the blow he needed to. And the proof is back in your last Pokeball."

Brycen concealed a smile. In spite of himself, he was starting to warm to the brown haired boy opposite him on the field of battle. For the first time in months, he had forgotten about the cameras to his left, filming his every move. It had been years since he had sparred in a match this intriguing, this heated. It was reminding him why he had becoming a Gym leader in the first place. "Very well. You shall need more than just blind faith and luck to beat the star of my show! Come on out, my oldest friend!"

Trip had known Brycen's final obstacle since the battle had begun. Where Cryogonal and Weavile had been, and fought valiantly, an entirely different threat now landed, thudding hard into the icy field. Beartic were, at the best of times, frightening creatures, with several fisherman falling to rogue Beartic on icy expeditions over the years. Brycen's Beartic was on another level from those stories. Known as Beartic the Brave, it had accompanied him on many journeys oved the years and starred in many of his films. Legend had it that it had once rescued an entire school bus full of children that had been teetering on the edge of a cliff to the north of Icirrus City. It was a legend, and rightly so; even Trip had to concede that it was an extremely powerful Pokémon standing before him.

… _and to think, this battle is going to be over in a matter of seconds. Sad, really._

"Are you ready to take on my Beartic, Trip?"

Trip grinned, barely able to contain his excitement at what the next few seconds was going to bring. "You have no idea, Brycen."

"Very well," the Gym leader declared. "Beartic, time to show Sawk the door! Use one _Ice Punch_ to knock it all the way back to Nacrene City!"

Beartic did not hesitate. Unlike its owner, it was barely one for histrionics. The unbelievably strong-levelled Pokémon bounded to Sawk, held up its huge fist high, which began to sparkle a bright blue and give off a cold breeze that led to everybody shivering in the room…before smashing it down mercilessly on Sawk. The room shook, several windows shattered and icy glass covered Luke and Zorua, who howled in annoyance. The media pack, however, were too busy staring at the arena to care about the glass covering their hair and clothes. They were open mouthed at the sight of Sawk, on his haunches but still clinging on in the battle, staring up at the shocked Beartic with a casual satisfaction.

"What…what!" Brycen roared, breaking the silence that had enveloped the room. "What is this madness? There is no way possible he could make it through such an attack! How…how!?"

Trip merely smiled, tasting victory in his mouth. "It's pretty basic stuff. You see, he used _Endure_ , Brycen…and now, he's using _Counte_ r."

Sawk, on his last surge of energy, thrust upwards at Beartic, fist shining a bright red. The attack made a perfect connection with Beartic's chin, sending the large bear flying into the air and slamming straight into the wall behind its speechless trainer. As loud and large as the impact of the Ice Punch had been, this was twice the size, ruining all of the remaining windows in the Gym. The media, Brycen…they all sat in silence, stunned. Sawk looked back at Trip with a silent pride, and Trip returned the favour. His brown bangs whipped in front of his face with the icy breeze that shot through the shattered windows, and one single voice echoed around the broken Gym

" _ **Beartic is unable to battle, which means the battle goes to Trip, the challenger!"**_

 _ **oOoOo**_

Drayden reached over and grabbed his remote control, switching off the television set with a thoughtful silence. The man walked to the front of his large, personal cabin. Situated atop a small hill that overlooked the village far below, the man made sure to keep the small luxury of the television private from those down below. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, and he had his reasons for keeping in touch with the outside world. What he had experienced, they couldn't even imagine. He didn't want them to have to.

 _One day, they'll thank me for the wall. They'll thank me for what I do to keep them safe._

"He's coming here, you know."

The man turned to find his one confidant, Elder, sitting pensively in the seat that he had been in mere moments before. _Half witch, that woman. Nowhere to be seen one second, where she needs to be the next._

"He's coming for the girl. He was with her in the mountains when dear Arke was killed. These things I know."

Drayden ignored the warning, "Let him come. What is he to me, this boy? A tiny insect, not worthy of my time nor attention."

Elder smiled, a habit that secretly infuriated Drayden when he was in one of his moods. "Heed my warning, Drayden. There is more to this boy than meets the eye. Some untold connection that we are yet to realise. You underestimated Lance. Do not do the same with this boy."

"Do not dare speak his name in here," Drayden hissed. "Lance would have had us open our gates to the world and let Team Plasma spies in to steal our dragons, tarnish our lands, sully our women. We hold no obligation to he nor the Kanto region."

Elder frowned, sitting in silence. The man she had once known, years ago, prior to the incident with Ghetsis at the Giant Chasm…he was now gone. There was no point debating with this new Drayden. It could only lead to pain and sorrow. "As you say, Drayden. Shall I check them tonight?"

"No," Drayden spat accusingly. "You've done enough tonight. Leave me."

Elder turned to move but Drayden caught her sleeve, pointing to the blank screen where Trip had stood triumphant only moments before. "The boy would be too late, in either case. Bring me Iris in the morning. Her future is set in stone now, whether she likes it or not."

Elder again bit her tongue, unable to express the hatred welling up in her throat at that moment. She merely nodded, shuffling out of the cabin and moving down the hill towards her people. Drayden, checking the lock on the door carefully, pulled back the rug in the middle of the floor to reveal a large trapdoor. Slowly pulling it up with a grunt, it revealed a large wooden compartment, dark in nature, with several dim candles scattered around the bring enough light to scene to see what treasure lay beneath.

The treasure of hundreds upon hundreds of dragon eggs.

 **oOoOo**

 **Trip has defeated Brycen and taken the Freeze Badge thanks to Sawk! Tune in next time as the more-confident-and-powerful-than-ever Trip takes the first step on his way to the Village of Dragons to rescue Iris and continue on his journey to be the Unova Champion!**


	8. Past and Future Paths

The chaotic nature of the earlier battle had quickly been replaced by one of serenity and peace. Trip and Leo stood shivering on the edge of town, a shallow creek running to their left and a faint but weathered dirt path scarcely able to be seen through the overgrown shrubbery. The modest location was unusual in itself; Brycen had begged Trip to meet him specifically at this location to receive his badge, but the expected media horde was yet to join them. They had remained with the defeated Brycen whilst Trip and Leo hastily made their exit, to the stern advice of the Gym leader.

"What do you think Brycen is playing at, Leo? Saving face with the reporters, claiming I cheated him out of the badge?"

Trip's words were cynical, but they were spoken in a relatively joyous tone. The exhilaration had not yet disappeared from his momentous victory, and the pride he felt in his own performance was only exceeded by the pride he felt in Sawk's efforts. _Taking down all three of Brycen's Pokémon, type advantage or not! With Sawk, nothing can stand in my way!_

"I wouldn't be so sure, Trip," Leo replied. "I could see a shift in Brycen's eyes as the battle reached its conclusion. Something sparked within the man, I am sure of it."

"I concur, friend."

Leo and Trip turned to find Brycen shuffling out of the deep bush towards them, a smile on his face and shiny badge in his hand. Trip looked behind him, expecting to find cameras whirring and microphones at the ready to capture the moment, but none were forthcoming. Brycen seemed to sense his confusion and smiled sheepishly. "There's nobody else, Trip. Just we three. I told them that we would be conducting the ceremony on the other side of town…but this moment belongs to you, not to the rest of Unova. Here…your very own Freeze Badge."

Brycen held out the shiny object, and Trip reached out and plucked it tenderly. He rubbed his fingers over the cool, metallic surface and smiled, before carefully pinning the badge to his now famous tattered shirt. Brycen held out his hand to the young trainer, and he accepted the invitation, shaking it back firmly.

"Today, our battle together…it reminded me of why I became a Gym leader in the first place," Brycen said, bowing slightly. "Perhaps I juggled too many things at the same time, trying to be a Gym leader and a movie star…I became unfocused, and forgot what truly mattered to me most. I know that you won't make the same mistake I did. And it is why I have asked you to meet me here."

Brycen pointed down the tattered path to his right and smiled. "What you seek is down that path, Trip. It is a hidden passage through the mountains that is only known to the old merchants who used to cart their produce to the most isolated place in all of Unova. _The Village of Dragons_. It hasn't been used since Drayden shut down their trade with other Unova villages and towns after the incident with Team Plasma many years ago…but the path should be safe enough to travel on still."

The boy could barely contain himself, stepping towards the path to gain a better look through the trees into its dank depths. Brycen laughed, waving to the pair as he slowly began to walk away. "I met Drayden, years ago…I can do nothing but wish you luck on your quest. He was the most determined man that I have ever met in my life…but perhaps you could rival even him, Trip. Farewell!"

Just like that, Brycen had gone, disappearing once more into the foliage on the outskirts of town. Trip began to kick the loose branches out of the way to gain access to the path, but Brycen's farewell wasn't to be the only farewell of the day, as Leo's voice called out from behind him. "I am sad to say that this is where my journey ends, Trip."

Trip span, surprised at the sudden turn of events. Whilst he had never felt particularly close to Leo, who could be too cold and logical for even him on occasions, he had respected the power and fighting abilities of the man and always felt safe in his presence. _How could he abandon me now, especially after Cilan did the same only a few days earlier?_

"I am needed back in Castelia. I received a message from the lab – a major breakthrough has been made, and they believe there may be a way to communicate with the Pokémon from space in a matter of weeks with me there. This could change the very future of Pokémon training as we know it, my friend."

Trip snorted, trying not to sound impressed. "And you'd have me take on Drayden and the Village of Dragons by myself?"

"Who ever said anything about you travelling alone?"

Leo turned and pointed at a rustling bush on the edge of the clearing. As if by magic, Luke toppled over his feet and fell in front of the two trainers at the very moment Leo pointed. Zorua giggled from behind its trainer, leaping over his huddled form and dancing around happily. The boy sheepishly pulled himself to his feet and, turning his camera off, apologetically rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, Trip. I shouldn't have followed…it's just that I saw Brycen sneaking off when nobody else did, and I figured that he would be showing you the way to get to the Village!"

Normally, Trip would have thrust a Pokeball out and torn somebody to shreds for following him, but he couldn't help but be impressed by Luke's persistence and cleverness in following Brycen through the woods. _Besides, you let Iris travel with you last time after following you…and how did that pan out?_ "You don't need to apologise, Luke. You gave us a place to stay when we needed it most. If you'd like to come with me to the Village of Dragons, you only need to…"

Trip hadn't even finished the sentence by the time Luke had jumped over, grabbed his hand and was shaking it excitedly. "Oh, that would be amazing! I can't even remember the last time anybody got live footage of the Village! Can you even imagine the stories that it must tell? Oh, thank you, Trip! Thank you!"

Zorua, for once the calm and responsible one, transformed into a slightly taller version of Luke and smacked its human counterpart on the back of the head, indicating towards Leo, who seemed very interested in the impressive manoeuvre. Luke stepped back, smiling, allowing Trip to face Leo for one final time. "I can never thank you enough for helping me find Iris, Leo. I will never forget your generosity."

Leo smiled, popping open his Pokeball to allow Solosis to float over his shoulder. "I only hope that you find her safe and sound, my friend. You don't need to be Psychic type to know what this girl means to you."

Trip tried to hide his blushing cheeks, trying to find a way to combat the moment of awkwardness. A hard surface jutting from his backpack provided exactly what he needed. He slid the pack off his back, reaching into it to pull out the object. "Perhaps this can serve as some sort of payment, at least. I'd like you to have this."

"A Plume Fossil!" Leo exclaimed, running his hands over the smooth surface and plucking it from Trip's hands. "Wherever did you get it? These are very rare, you know!"

"Hawkes, Lenora's husband from the Nacrene City Gym, gave it to me shortly after I beat her in battle," Trip shared. "I don't really have any reason to hold on to it for now, but perhaps you may find some use for it?"

"I think that I might, Trip," Leo smiled mysteriously. Solosis began to glow a pale blue, as did Leo, who turned around and walked away, sharing one last mysterious insight as he faded into the distance. "After you visit the Village, you may want to check out Driftveil City. **You may be surprised by what you find there…** "

 **oOoOo**

"Enter, Iris."

The booming voice could even clearly be heard through the closed door of Drayden's cabin. Iris, even in her current state, hesitated; she had never been invited into Drayden's cabin. Nobody had been for some time, ever since he had shifted his home after returning from battling Team Plasma and defeating Ghetsis. Once, he had lived down amongst the people, sharing their laughter, revelling in their customs and leading from the front. Now, he lived atop the largest hill, rarely venturing down for anything other than Gym challenges, which he was unable to refuse, though Iris was sure that he would if it had been possible. She had always wondered why he had remained a Gym leader despite his apparent hatred for the rest of Unova – but she had known better than to ever raise the question.

Slowly pushing the heavy door open, she entered. The cabin was dark and had a musty smell, as though it was very rarely opened up and ventilated. It took her eyes a minute to adjust before she saw Drayden, sitting behind a large wooden table, motioning for her to sit at the other end. She obliged silently, staring the man in the eyes. He leaned back, as though studying her carefully, but he did not speak. She was not going to be the first to do so. They sat together in silence, sitting uncomfortably, before the man slowly stood and turned his back on her.

"Tell me about your time away from the Village."

Iris looked up, but the leader's back remained turned. His expression sounded more curious than mad, but she could still not find it in her to respond to him. She merely looked back down at the table, running her fingernails through the small divets in the wood.

"Do you know why I still allow children of the Village to leave on their Laconrummen?"

No response. Her chest felt heavier as the man continued.

"What I want is for you to understand the world that I only came to understand from my experiences outside of the Village. You now see what I see of the world, Iris. A horrible place in which the selfishness of others can only bring us pain and suffering. Lance called himself a Dragon Master? He was nothing more than a petty criminal who would have had us tear down out walls and sacrifice all that we hold dear to satisfy the needs of the unworthy, the uncleansed."

 _Lance._ Iris' heart fluttered at the very name of Arke's killer, but her head remained down. Drayden clearly took this as a sign to continue his speech.

"Now, it is more important than ever that we keep the Village strong. The only way that we can remain safe against the likes of Lance and Team Rocket is to ensure that as a community, we remain bonded together…that we have a safe and secure future planned, for generation to generation…"

 _No._

"Do you understand what I am demanding of you, Iris?"

 _Not that._

"It is time to enforce the pact that your mother made for you all of those years ago."

 _Anything but that_.

Drayden finally turned, studying the slightly panicked look on the silent girl's face. He frowned at her less than enthused expression, before grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her to her feet. She did not have the energy in her to resist. "Your time has come, Iris. Say hello to your future."

With that, he unceremoniously dumped the girl onto her knees at the foot of the door, which slowly creaked open to reveal a third person. She ignored the throbbing pain in her knee as she stole a glance up, as though expecting somebody different, but she was to be bitterly disappointed. There was no mistaking this person, whom she had known for many years. He was pathetically propped up on a makeshift cane, one leg slightly shorter than the other, skin as white as snow and eyes with a slight tinge of red.

"Hi, Iris."

 **oOoOo**

 **What does Drayden have in store for Iris that the girl is dreading so much? Find out next time as Trip storms the Village of Dragons to get his friend back!**


	9. Cat on a Tin Roof

" _That is…unfortunate."_

The crimson-haired beauty drew in breath as the shadowy figure on the laptop screen in front of her reclined slightly in his chair. Giovanni, the fearsome leader of Team Rocket, was not a man to overreact to challenging situations. Unfortunate, where Jessie and James were involved, these challenging situations presented themselves all too often. In this instance, however, the dark cloud of Lance's death had a significant silver lining for Team Rocket. "Unfortunate, but hardly terminal to our Unova plans. I want you to follow the boy to the Village of Dragons and pillage the cache of dragon eggs that Lance claimed Drayden is holding. If those eggs fall into our hands, we will have insurmountable power at our disposal. Nobody…not in Kanto, not in Unova…not in any region throughout the world, will be able to resist the Dragon-fuelled Team Rocket."

Jessie and James sat pensively at the edge of Icirrus, the now cleared path heading towards the Village of Dragons laying at their feet. Small footprints could be seen heading down into the distance, with the small pattered feet of Zorua by their side. Jessie, as usual, took the lead between the two. "That is all well and good, sir…but how do you propose we break into the Village without Lance's help?"

A low chuckle came from the shadowy man as he slowly stroked the elegant Persian by his side. "You are a fool to believe that Lance would have helped you. His offering us a share of the eggs from the Village was little more than a deceitful lie."

 _A lie?_ "But…but he seemed so genuine when we arrived, before he…I mean, when we were travelling together," James uttered, failing to think before speaking, as usual. "Why would Lance have betrayed us when we were nothing but loyal to his cause?"

"Lance had a reputation to uphold. Not to mention his position in the Elite Four of Kanto," Giovanni quipped. "He invited us into his plans as nothing more than mere scapegoats. Did you really think I was not aware that he abandoned you shortly after arriving in the Unova region? And has not all of the blame for the childrens' deaths been laid at the feet of Team Rocket?"

James fell back, just managing to catch himself before sprawling helplessly on the ground. "You knew about Lance leaving us to go rogue?"

Jessie was not so subtle, shouting into the screen, forgetting her place for a moment. "If you knew Lance was manipulating us for his own purposes, why did you agree to assist him in the first place?"

Giovanni smiled; not a warm, happy smile that you would find on the faces of most satisfied people, but a cold and calculated smile that told of a plan that only he was privy to. "It is quite simply a matter of cost versus opportunity. Send my most expendable agents with Lance in the hope that his own plans failed, and then we could swoop in and steal his own target. If he succeeded, then I would have had you attempt to defeat him personally…though given your history, I wouldn't have held my breath…"

Jessie clenched her fist, trying to hide her fury from the boss. _Expendable? Did he just call us his most expendable agents?_ Feeling a sudden urge to throw the laptop through the trees and smash it into a million pieces, she took the more diplomatic route. "We will get you those eggs from the Village, even if it kills us as well."

Giovanni opened his mouth to respond, but Jessie had already slammed the device shut and had thrust it into her knapsack. James looked startled at the rude ending of the conversation, but one look at his partner's face told him that it better to stay silent on the issue. He had certainly learned that lesson the hard way over their many years of service together. A different tact, he figured, would be to change the subject straight away. "I maintain that he try to capture that Sawk, Jessie. You saw its raw power…imagine having a powerful local Pokémon like that on our team!"

The seething woman turned and grabbed James by the collar, shaking him viciously. "I'm sick of chasing individual Pokémon for our personal benefit! How did that turn out with Pikachu, huh? It's time we think bigger, aim for the stars! If we pull off this heist with the Dragon eggs, the boss will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams! I'll finally be able to retire in some obscure, sea-side town…tanning myself every day, sipping tropical cocktails, dipping my feet in the warm ocean currents…and here are you, worrying about capturing a single Sawk off another stupid, little twerp?"

Jessie composed herself slightly, brushing her hands through her hair and releasing James to drop to the ground at her feet. "Besides, it is high time we prove ourselves something other than completely useless. Don't you agree?"

"You took the words right out of my mouth, toots."

The pair turned to find Meowth galloping through the clearing and hurriedly down the weathered path through the trees. He quickly popped his head back to find his confused and bemused team-members staring at him. "What are ye waiting for, huh? Let's go! Those Dragon eggs won't steal themselves!"

With a toothy grin, the cat was gone once again. Jessie helped up James, and the two quickly packed up their things and made their way down the path as well. "Well, you can't fault his enthusiasm," James commented.

Up ahead, Meowth giggled to himself as he could hear the footsteps of the two trainers following him quickly. His eyes quickly flashed back into their original form, then back to Meowth's, as the evil Pokémon's thoughts returned to the mission at hand. Thrusting his paw out to the side, he examined the sharp claws on either side. He couldn't help but imagine the piercing tips slicing their way through Iris' throat, before watching her lifeless body slide down the side of the mountain, just as she had done to his master.

"Hurry up! We ain't got all year!"

 **oOoOo**

Back in the woods near the weathered path, Meowth struggled against the strong String Shot attack that had seemingly come out of nowhere. In an instant, whilst trying to find a nice place to relieve himself, he had found himself tied to a tree trunk, then any cries that could have been heard were cancelled out by a String Shot around his face. He had watched on in horror as the Sewaddle, or at least that is what he figured the Pokémon to have been at the time, slowly transformed into Ditto before his eyes, before changing into a perfect replica of him. The Ditto-Meowth had laughed quietly before leaning in, slapping original-Meowth on the side of the face.

"Don't you go moving, now."

With a skip in his agile step, Ditto-Meowth made its way through the woods to where Jessie and James had been talking to the boss. Meowth merely stayed in place, unable to move nor speak.

 **oOoOo**

Some way further ahead on the path, Trip and Luke hastily made their way across the rocky outcrops that jutted sporadically amongst the sheer cliff faces and occasional patch of greenery. The path was proving very difficult to circumnavigate, and Trip felt a growing respect for the traders who had hauled their carts all the way to the Village through this extremely difficult route. Behind him, he heard Luke fall again with a muffled yelp, but he pushed on ahead. _Best that you let him catch up by himself. He'll need to be tough to make it, and being soft on him won't help one bit._

 **oOoOo**

" _Hurry up, damn it! The storm will be here soon!"_

 _Trip could hear his father's shouting above the howling wind, which was quite an achievement in itself. He stole a quick glance around the town, most of which he could see from the rooftop. The other families had seen the sense in preparing their homes in advance – most windows were boarded up, and the only other sign of life he could see was the occasional belated Pidove flying away from the incoming devastation. A loose sheet of tin became loose to Trip's left, and the sharp edge flew up and nearly struck him in the face. The boy gave a startled cry and fell backwards, nearly rolling off the roof. He held on for dear life, terrified. Down below, his father bellowed, angry at the pathetic display above him._

" _Get the bloody hammer to your right and nail the tin down! The whole roof will come off if you don't get off your arse and do it!"_

 _Trip looked to his left and saw the hammer just out of reach. He'd have to let go of the side of the house to grab it, but his hands wouldn't allow him to do so. Ignoring the negative bleatings of the man below, he strained his body ever so slightly and felt his fingertips just flick the hammer. Just as it seemed as though he may have been successful, the wind howled stronger and the loose tin gave one final groan before coming completely loose. Nails flew through the air, just avoiding Trip, who released the side of the house in horror and felt himself falling…falling…falling…_

 _ **Thump.**_

" _Useless. Absolutely useless."_

 _The man ran into the house, screaming out something about buckets and a mop, ignoring the sight of his son laying on the ground. Trip could taste copper, and a flash of red illuminated his vision, clearly from a cut on his forehead. A throbbing pain in his side only became worse as he ran his fingers down and, to his horror, he felt the hard edge of a rib sticking out from his side. The boy's world became dark as the clouds did the same overhead, the first specks of rain hitting him in the forehead and causing the blood to fall freely from his face down onto the ground. The last thing he heard as he fell into unconsciousness was his father's voice ringing in his head._

" _Soft. Weak. Pathetic."_

 **oOoOo**

Trip turned to find Luke struggling to get over a fallen log, the younger boy let down by both a lack of physical strength and also height. He looked up to see dark clouds gathering, and his mind instantly went back to that day. How he'd hated his father for leaving him there, unable to move. Trying to push that from his mind, he remembered the rainy night that he had spent just out of Nuvema Town. How he had shivered and struggled in the rain to find a comfortable place to sleep. How he'd felt when he had turned to find Iris' gift, a sleeping back to protect him from the elements, with a simple note attached to it.

 _I'm sorry._

He carefully felt around on his back with his hands and found the sleeping bag, giving it a warm squeeze. He knew what he had to do. Turning around, he walked back to where Luke was struggling and held out his hand. "Here. Grab on."

Luke looked up and, without a second thought, took Trip's hand in his. The older boy lifted his younger companion to his feet and, reunited, they both continued on the path together. A small gap in the dark clouds above appeared, and the sunlight poked through, lighting up the way forward for the beleaguered travellers.

 **oOoOo**

 **There's nothing scarier than a crazed Ditto on the warpath for revenge! Or is there? Find out what Iris is facing next time, as Trip and Luke reach the Village of Dragons!**


	10. Welcome to the Village, Trip

For every mile of stony surface that Trip and Luke transcended throughout the mountain pass, it seemed like another ten stretched ahead of them in a blaze of monotonous nothingness. Each step was becoming increasingly painful, and every minute walked was another blister, or another sore pull on their already swollen hamstrings. Pidove, circling above, flew back down to Trip, giving a confused and slightly disappointed peck on his shirt before returning to its Pokeball. Another Pidove flew down and gave the same bemused reaction, before transforming back into Zorua and running into the nearby shrubs to search for food.

"Still nothing. The low clouds around the mountains make it near impossible for Pidove to see where the Village is; how much further we have to go. We could be walking for days yet."

Luke collapsed to the ground, reaching for his water bottle out of his backpack. "I never expected it to be this far. You hear the stories of its isolation and difficulty to reach, but…you know…stories always seem to be exaggerated."

"What do you know of the Village of Dragons?" Trip replied, sitting on the rocky ground next to his new friend. "I never heard any stories of the Village back in Nuvema Town…and as much as I read up on the history of the Unova Region, I never saw any mention of it in the textbooks."

Luke unhappily threw his empty bottle onto the ground before turning to Trip. "You won't find any mention of the Village of Dragons in the literature for the same reason that it is so hard to find information on Team Plasma. The people in charge of the Unova Region don't want those from overseas to know certain things about our past, about our present. They keep it out of sight and mind to hide it from people who don't know the story."

"Then how do you know so much about it all?"

"A good documentarian knows how to find information, even when it isn't easily accessible," Luke grinned. "I've got connections here and there. But I'll be the first of my group to have ever been to the Village in person. If I can just get a shot of Drayden and the local Dragon Pokémon…"

Trip's attention was pulled away from the younger boy, who happily chatted on about the prospects of filming Drayden's fabled Haxorus and interviewing the locals about their odd lifestyles. His focus had turned to the side of the mountain, where a few small rocks had been dislodged and were rolling down the steep surface before crunching down onto the rocky ground mere metres away. Trip's eyes shot up, but through the thick haze he couldn't make out if there was anybody there. He slowly stood, ignoring Luke, and walked over to the side of the pass.

"Shh."

Luke stopped yapping and whipped around to find his friend standing warily. "Why? What's wrong?"

"We're not alone."

Luke shot up in fright and ran to Trip's side, breathing heavily. He grabbed on to Trip's shirt, but the older boy did not care. He was too focused formulating a plan. Thrusting a Pokeball to the ground, Pidove once again appeared. "Pidove," Trip whispered. "Use _Gust_ to blow away the fog right above us."

To Luke's credit, he caught on quickly. "Zorua, you too!"

Zorua joined the group in a bound and quickly transformed into a large, eagle looking Braviary. Pidove shot up and began to flap its wings into a furious Gust, whilst Zorua followed suit with a vicious Whirlwind. The fog above them slowly dissipated. A slender figure could be seen standing atop a large rocky formation, before jumping down athletically and landing on his feet in front of Luke and Trip. His face revealed a weathered smile, with shaggy hair falling down into bangs on either side. Trip motioned to grab another Pokeball, but the man held up his hand and stepped forward gently.

"You must be Trip."

Trip's hand fell from his belt, but he did not reply to the man.

"My name is Sioren," the shaggy blue-and-grey haired man declared. "I am here to guide you to the Village of Dragons, where we would be honoured to receive you as our guests."

Alarm bells rang in Trip's head, and his hand once again returned to his Pokeball belt. "Guests? What do you mean, guests? How do you know who I am? How do you know where I am going?"

Sioren laughed, a high pitched and shrill giggle that Trip imagined would be very annoying if heard frequently. "Too many questions at once, young man. But I will oblige. I know where you are going because this path only leads to one destination, of course. I know who you are because Master Drayden described you with typical accuracy and aplomb. And as for your guest status in our humble village? Why, that is quite simple. Drayden keeps abreast of outside matters, especially when they affect our young villagers. Your attempts to rescue Iris from the perils that faced her did not go unnoticed."

Sioren noticed Trip's hand twitching near his Pokeballs, and he frowned. "We need not be enemies, Trip. Like I said, I have come to guide you to the Village of Dragons…not stand in your way. And need I remind you that Iris chose to return to us of her own free will?"

"Free will? Free will?" Trip nearly laughed at the choice of words. "All that she has told me of the Village makes free will seem like a foreign concept. She belongs…"

"…out here, with you?" Sioren failed to hide his contempt for the words leaving Trip's mouth. "With all due respect, young man, her place is in the Village. She knows that…it is why she has returned home."

"She returned home because Arke…"

Luke suddenly appeared between the two bickering males, a sheepish smile on his young face. He turned to Sioren first, apologetically patting the Dragon trainer on the shoulder. "We would be delighted to accept Drayden's gracious invitation, kind sir. How much farther is it up this path? We have been travelling for some days now, and would love the chance to rest our feet and wash."

Sioren slowly calmed down, his flaring nostrils returning to normal, and replacing his snarl with the same fake smile that he wore when he had first jumped down from the rocks. "Why, that is fantastic news. I know that Iris herself would be very disappointed if her closest friend were unable to join her on such a significant day! Come, follow me now. It is a short walk further up before a smaller path winds through the mountains to our left. The traders knew of this route, but without _my help_ you would have walked right past the Village and never known!"

The smug tone left Trip with an overwhelming desire to jump straight back into the argument then or there, but a quick glance at Luke's desperate face convinced him to keep his mouth shut. Sioren hurriedly made his way up the path and into the distance, turning around to motion to the boys to follow. Luke and Trip both picked up their backpacks before trudging towards the man, their tired bodies in motion once again.

 **oOoOo**

If Trip had been impressed when entering Striaton and Castelia City, then approaching the large stone wall that surrounded the Village was another experience entirely. The dirt path leading up to the structure was bathed in sunlight and surrounded by fields filled with flowers and gleeful wild Pokémon roaming freely. What stood in front of him now, however, stank of fear and chaos. The blackened stones, Trip suspected they may have been melted by some extremely hot fire, shone in the light and the wall stretched up nearly as high as the tallest trees in the woods. Luke trembled sightly, intimidated by its sheer size, and had the sense to leave his camera in the bad around Sioren. The man did not seem concerned by the wall, approaching and yelling up as if calling to the heavens for assistance.

"I have the boy! Let us in!"

After a slight pause, the massive gates in front of the three slowly swung open. Trip could see the Village as the mouth opened wide – small, shabby looking cabins scattering the fielded landscape. A large dank woods in the distance. A hill, much higher than the cabins before it, with a larger and grander looking abode on top. What was noticeable, however, was the lack of people running to and fro, going about their daily errands. As Sioren led the two boys into the Village, there was absolutely nobody to be seen.

"Um, Sioren?" Luke asked quietly. "Shouldn't a Village have villagers, of some sort?"

The older man just smiled mysteriously and began to walk towards the woods in the distance motioning for the two boys to follow. "The villagers are already there, my friends. Come. We shouldn't keep the ceremony waiting."

 _Ceremony?_

 **oOoOo**

The trio followed the winding river through the woods, getting deeper and deeper, farther and farther away from the relative safety of the Village. Wild Drilbur scattered about in the bushes, and Trip couldn't help but give a knowing smile. _So that is where she got her Excadrill from. Interesting._

Suddenly, Sioren stopped in place. Through the trees, Trip could see a clearing up ahead. He pushed past the man and walked towards it slowly. As he got closer, he could begin to make out the forms of many villagers, all with their backs turned. A single voice began to filter through to him, that of an elderly lady, a strong voice in spite of its aged source. "…we are here today to honour a sacred bond…"

 _A sacred bond?_ Trip pushed further through the foliage and finally made it through into the clearing. The villagers at the back turned in surprise to find an outsider standing there. As he walked towards them, they slowly parted, allowing him to walk through.

"…one that must be respected at all times, for the good of the individuals, but especially for the good of the Village…"

Trip was still unable to see who was talking, or what she was talking about. A low murmur rippled through the crowd as they continued to part to let the tattered boy through.

"…from this day on, they shall not be two, but a single entity, with the sole purpose of…"

 _A single entity? What the hell is going on?_ Trip suddenly spotted the purple hair jutting high above the crowd remaining, and he lost all sense of decorum or reason. All he wanted was to see her, to hold her. He ran forward and pushed the slow movers out of the way, desperately trying to get to the front to find what was…

 _Oh._

Trip burst out of the crowd and stood in front of a small wooden podium, crudely constructed in the clearing to hold Iris, who looked down at Trip but didn't seem able to react. She was dressed in a long, ornate dress with shiny silver beads down the side. Her hair was trussed up like never before. Next to her stood who could only be Eurus, his white pasty skin reflecting what little light could make its way down through the treetops. He was well-dressed in a bright blue woven garment, red paint covering half of his face. The older woman, dressed in humble rags, held an ancient-looking book out in front of her, and she peered down at the sudden appearance of Trip with a great deal of intrigue. The man to the right of her, however, was not quite so quizzical about the new guest. He could barely contain the devilish grin that dominated his face below his jutted moustache. Drayden.

 _He knows. He mocks you._

Drayden stepped to the front of the podium, puffing his chest out in intimidating fashion, purely for show. Drayden clearly was the architect of this entire situation, and he was loving it. "What is the meaning of this, young man? Have you no respect for our most ancient ceremony?"

Trip glanced around at the podium, at the expectant crowd, at Eurus – so well dressed, unusually so…and finally at Iris, her blank expression in direct contrast with her splendid outfit and stunning appearance. The reality hit Trip like a tonne of bricks, or one of Sawk's well directed Karate Chop attacks.

 _Iris is getting married. Iris is getting married to Eurus._

 **oOoOo**

 **Awkward! Wedding crasher time. Can Trip do something to stop Iris from marrying Eurus? Find out next time!**


	11. Wedding Crasher

Any attempts made by Trip to make eye contact with Iris proved instantly futile. Eurus hobbled across the stage, instinctively shielding his bride from the unknown intruder. Drayden remained at the front of the makeshift stage, seemingly gloating at his moral victory over the 'outsider'. However, any glimpse he could snatch of the girl was not returned anyway. She looked away, as though some deep shame had come over her. Whether that had stemmed from the mountains or after she had arrived in the Village, Trip could not say. All he knew was that he had to talk to her, get her alone; rescue her from the awful situation she found herself in. Perhaps, even it was her outfit. Seeing Iris dressed up in such fancy robes seemed so ludicrious. While she loved her robes and tribal clothing, she was much more at ease with a face covered in dirt rather than make-up and the like. Nothing about the formality of the ceremony before him was Iris. He knew that. _Do they?_

A swift glance around told him two things. Firstly, Luke had stayed out of sight, probably watching from the bushes at the back of the clearing. Secondly, the initial fear and surprise of the Villagers had been replaced by one of sheer curiosity, as though he had a second head growing out of his left shoulder blade. _How long has it been since they have seen an outsider? How long until they will see another after me?_

"I was aware that you were coming," Drayden boomed over the crowd towards Trip. "It pleases me to see that Sioren brought you here as requested."

Sioren bowed slightly, a smile spread over his slimy face, ecstatic that Drayden would know his name, let alone acknowledge him directly.

"Friends, do not greet this young man with suspicion and hostility. His name is Trip, from the humble town of Nuvema, far away from the reaches of the Village boundaries. Recently, as I suspect many of you have heard from the whispering of the trees, several Village children have been the target of cowardly attacks by a man I once considered a friend. The man - the same one that stole Hecate and Arke from our futures - was well on his way to doing the same to Iris. Without the intervention of Trip, she may not be standing here at this wonderful ceremony today."

Trip reeled at this news. _A man that Drayden considered a friend? But he couldn't possibly have known the Team Rocket members we battled...who the hell was after Iris?_

Drayden turned his attention back to Trip now. "We welcome you as a guest and a friend, Trip. It would please Iris no end if you could stay for the ceremony and celebrate her union with Eurus, I am sure."

Every word out of Drayden's mouth was dripping in poison, stinging Trip's ears with deceit and disgust. It seemed only fair that he returned the favour. "She doesn't look pleased in the slightest, Drayden. Explain that to me."

Drayden's smile did not falter, but a slight twitch in his moustache gave up his displeasure. Or was he pleased with the spirit shown by the boy? He was quite impossible to read. "Pre-union nerves are not unheard of. Either way, her nerves or feelings are quite irrelevant here. Her mother made a pact with Eurus' father many years ago that the two would be wed. Is that not correct, Ariadne?"

A slight and pale woman stepped forward, looking as uncomfortable in elegant robes as her daughter did up on stage. Trip saw it straight away - it was as though he was staring into the eyes of an older Arke - but he held his tongue as he saw Iris look down with a blank expression on her face. The woman spoke in a shaky voice, her head bowed. "Yes, Drayden. Such connections will ensure the future of the Village is bright and secure."

 _"The future of the Village will be bright and secure."_

The entire Village seemed to speak the words at once, and Trip instantly felt as though he had stumbled into a mad cult. Stepping forward again, he attempted to ignore Drayden and speak to whom he most desired. "Iris! Iris! You don't really want this! Come with me, we'll leave this all behind!"

The girl seemed to hesitate, not speaking a single word, and Drayden chuckled. "Your loyalty to Iris is admirable, but your concerns are misguided. This is where Iris is supposed to be. This is what Iris is supposed to do. This is who Iris is supposed to become."

"What, a housewife and blind follower, just like the rest of these idiots?" Trip snarled, his patience quickly wearing thin. "If you think that is what she wants, then you don't know her very well at all. None of you do!"

The Villagers begin to hiss, moving in on Trip, but Drayden put up a hand and stopped them in their tracks. Trip span to face the horde, rage rising up inside him after a long journey. "What purpose are you trying to serve, keeping yourselves locked away from the world! Newsflash - it's out there, whether you have a wall there or not. Bad stuff happens - you just have to deal with it. I have. Iris does. Arke was trying to. Why do you think she didn't come back here? Either she didn't trust you, or she would have rathered to risk her life to stay free than to be trapped here for the rest of her life like the lot of you!"

Ariadne began crying at Arke's mention, dropping to her knees. Drayden merely looked on with amusement as Sioren ran to her side to help her up, cradling her softly. Trip turned back to him now, taking out a Pokeball. "I challenge you to a battle, Drayden. If I beat you, Iris comes with me. If you beat me, then..."

Trip tried to choose his words carefully, knowing that even if he lost, he had no intention of allowing Iris to stay with these people. "...then she can be married to Eurus like you had planned."

A hush fell over the people, as they watched Drayden weigh up the challenge in his mind. Twirling his moustache, he glared down at Trip with a superior sneer. "I reject your challenge. On with the ceremony!"

Drayden turned to step back onto the stage, but Trip ran forward and grabbed his sleeve. The tall man swung his hand back and connected firmly with Trip's cheek, sending the boy falling onto the dirt with an audible thud. His hand almost shot to the sore, but he held back out of pride. _It's nothing that you haven't had to deal with before._

"Do not interrupt the sacred ceremony," Drayden warned. "I allowed you here out of courtesy and to allow you to see Iris for one last time. Do not overstay your welcome."

Drayden's furious eyes told Trip that he was finally telling the truth. Unfortunately, it was not the truth that he wanted to hear. "Sawk, return the favour!"

A quick thrust of the Pokeball sent Sawk hurtling towards Drayden. The swift Karate Chop met nothing but air as the tall man dodged the move with surprising ease, and a swift kick to Sawk's guts sent the blue Pokemon falling with a cry back down towards Trip. Just as Drayden moved to throw one of his Pokeballs, he was interrupted from the stage.

"If it would please you, Drayden," a timid voice called out from behind the man. "I would be glad to battle Trip for you. For Iris."

Drayden looked back to see Eurus, pathetically propped up against the side of the stage, a Pokeball in his own hand. The pale boy hobbled down the steps until he was standing between the fierce leader and the tattered boy. He looked Trip dead in the eyes and spoke with determination, his bride watching on from the stage above. "A one on one battle, the winner gets to take Iris with them. A chance to show you that the Village takes no prisoners, and rejects the strength of all outsiders. What do you say, Drayden."

Trip almost grinned; Eurus clearly knew that Drayden could never resist the mentioned chance of seeing an outsider defeated by one of his own. The leader nodded, making his way through the crowd which quickly parted, and motioned for the two boys to follow. They did so - Trip limping after the kick, Eurus hobbling with his wonky legs - leaving behind Iris, who had yet to say a word for the entire ceremony. She looked up just in time to catch the sight of Trip looking back at her, a knowing look on his angry face.

Perhaps the last angry look that she would ever see on that face forever.

 **oOoOo**

 **So it is Trip vs. Eurus in a 1-1 battle for Iris! Who shall win? Tune in next time to find out!**


	12. Trip vs Eurus

Trip stood at one end of the field, with Eurus at the other. Anybody travelling past with no knowledge of the two boys may have laughed off the bout and continued on their way without a second thought. Eurus, propped on his one good leg, tried his best to maintain his balance as he stared down his opponent on the other side. Trip, tattered clothes and scraggy hair half blocking his view in the windy openness, also did little to inspire confidence and awe.

But that was all about to change. It was Eurus that moved first as the Village watched on in anticipation. Even Drayden appeared to be bristling behind his bushy moustache at the prospect of a heated match. Iris, however, remained placid and merely sat behind the crowd on a raised ledge, watching silently. Trip tried to ignore this and focused on the shimmering light forming a larger than expected form in front of him.

"Fraxure, you know what needs to be done."

 _He's already evolved his Axew into a Fraxure?_ Trip couldn't help but think back to those training sessions he had held with Axew, which almost felt like a lifetime ago. Nothing could have been further away from Axew than evolving into a formidible Fraxure at that point. Yet here was another, presumably of around the same age, that had already found itself in a position of strength and development that it could have evolved? For a Dragon type especially, which Trip knew were traditionally very difficult to raise, it was mightily impressive. _Beat him now, respect him later._

"I choose..."

Trip did not even have to exclaim. A burst of light from his belt and Servine stood proudly on the battlefield, showing off its newly evolved form to the gathered crowd. A few of the younger villagers gushed as the deep green of the body, the slender nature of the vines protruding from the back, the bright sparkle of anticipation in the eyes as Servine turned to Trip to...

"Servine, return."

There was only time for a look of disappointment and betrayal as Trip hit the button on the Pokeball and returned Servine to its capsule. He did not have time to feel guilty, not should he have to. _I have to win this battle. I can't lose Iris. Servine is strong, but Grass isn't very effective against Dragon types. Types aside, I have to choose my best Pokemon. And my best Pokemon is..._

"Sawk, I choose you!"

In Servine's place, Sawk sat crosslegged, deep in thought before the most important battle of its life. He slowly opened his eyes and stood, bracing himself for the battle ahead. Up the other end, Eurus stood and smiled. "Your Sawk has good focus, Trip. But you should have stuck with your Servine. Trust me."

"You worry about your battle strategies, and I'll worry about mine," Trip growled. "Sawk, go on the offensive! Hit him with a _Karate Chop_!"

Sawk lunged with grace and speed, striking Fraxure on the tusk with a well aimed blow. Haxorus stepped back but did not appear overly affected by the hit. _Fraxure is well trained and strong._ "Watch out for those tusks, Sawk! Retreat and use _Bulk Up_!"

Sawk jumped back towards Trip and pulled on its karate belt hard, its muscles beginning to shimmer and grow in the light. Drayden nodded an absent minded approval at Sawk's strength. Eurus did not appear concerned by Sawk's bulk, and smiled at Fraxure. "There's no point being strong and tough if you're too slow to hit us! Fraxure, use _Scary Face_!"

Fraxure's eyes glowed an eerie red and darkness seemed to emenate outwards from the Dragon type. A few of the younger members of the crowd cried out in fear as the black and red spectre made its way over and wrapped itself around Sawk before disappating. Trip grimaced. _Sawk's biggest strength is his speed combined with his power. I have to hope his raw power is enough to win._

"Sawk, use _Karate_ Chop again, but this time aim for his knees to get him on the ground!"

Sawk ran forward, eyes not wavering off Fraxure, and he slid along the grassed surface with some grace with his palm extended ready for the impact. But, as Trip bemoaned, the pace at which he moved was noticably slower. Eurus saw his chance, and took it. "Too easy. Fraxure, get above Sawk and fire down with a _Dragon Rage_!"

Fraxure jumped - hopped, perhaps, as it could not get far off the ground - but reached high enough that it could look down, open its jaws wide, and quickly fire off a blue ball of energy straight down into the exposed Sawk. There was a mini explosion, and Sawk was thrown backwards across the field, bouncing heavily and landing near Trip's feet. Embarrased by the hit, Sawk bounced to its feet, not wanting to show just how much the attack had affected it. Trip was just as composed, but internally he was looking at Sawk with concern. _Dragon Race has a set amount of damage each time...based on Sawk's energy levels, I'd say he could only handle another two Dragon Rages before being knocked out. I need this battle to be over quickly._

"Sawk, stay back. Stay patient. You're too slow with that _Scary Face_ to approach yourself. Wait for Fraxure to make a mistake."

Drayden could see Trip whispering to his Sawk, who calmly nodded in return. _They communicate well. But not well enough to defeat a Dragon type from the Village of Dragons_. Eurus watched from afar as Sawk stayed firmly at Trip's side, as if baiting Fraxure to approach and play into Trip's hands. _That isn't going to work._

 **oOoOo**

 _"She doesn't hate you, you know."_

 _Arke moved a shiny black rock two spaces to the left in the dirt, and Eurus watched on patiently. Next move, she will bring that black rock back two spaces, expecting me to shift my white cobblestone up to trap her down that end...leaving me open to an attack up the right side of the strip. No. She can't fool me._

 _"I never said she did," Eurus muttered. "Besides, I don't care much about what Iris thinks about me. I don't care much about what anybody thinks of me."_

 _Eurus casually, as if wanting Arke to think it was a hurried move, pushed his black rock up one space instead of two. She'll be drawn in now. She'll want to to shift up one more position._

 _She did just that as Eurus supressed a triumphant grin. "Everybody cares about what other people think about them. I know I do."_

 _"Is that why you don't tell Iris about our games?" Eurus remarked. "Am I that repulsive to spend time with?"_

 _"I..." Arke mumbled, trying to find the right words. They did not come, so she pushed her piece exactly where Eurus had expected her to. Silly, predictable girl. She continued to fumble around for an appropriate response, but Eurus decided not to give her the chance. He attacked from the left side, where she had never seen it coming._

 _"Checkmate."_

 **oOoOo**

"Hold tight, Fraxure. No need to attack yet. Use another _Scary Face_."

 _Damn._ Trip had hoped that Eurus would be drawn into attacking once he considered Sawk was on the back foot. But it wasn't to be. He watched on helplessly as Sawk was once again smothered by the black shadow, left slower than before, more cumbersome. Sawk's defiant pose was steadily becoming less convincing. He had to play his trump card from the battle against Brycen. It simply had to work again.

"Sawk, give it all you have with another _Karate Chop_!"

Eurus' reply came as the slow Sawk lumbered forward, palm again raised in preparation. "Wait for the right moment, Fraxure. You know what's coming. Prepare an almighty _Dragon Rage_!"

Trip waited for the right moment, just as the blue ball of energy was well and truly shimmering in the mouth of his opponent's Pokemon. "Sawk, _Endure_!"

" _Endure_ , huh? Fine. Fraxure, forget the _Dragon Rage_ , use _False Swipe_!"

Sawk could only watch on in wonder as Fraxure seemed to swallow the ball of energy, the blue light transferring from his mouth to his claw. Fraxure sprang forward and sliced through Sawk, leaving blue gash marks along his white outfit, deep scratches that inflicted a great deal of damage. The crowd cheered as the blue-coloured fighter wavered on its feet, just holding on as a result of the _Endure_. Eurus remained focused, as did Drayden, who watched on with curiosity at Trip's relatively nonplussed face. _He's going to use the same attack he did against Brycen. Eurus had better have a plan, else he won't be in this battle much longer._ Drayden stole a glance towards Iris. He half-suspected that she would be filled with happiness at the sight of her...friend...on the verge of victory, but he was proven wrong. The girl merely sat in her long, tribal dress, ignoring the tugging of her own Axew, as though completely unaffacted by the outcome of the match before her.

 _Curious..._

"Sawk, hit Fraxure with a _Counter_! Finish this!"

Sawk, with one final burst of slow-paced energy, jogged towards Fraxure with fists at the ready. Trip's heart leapt in his chest as he considered he was this one attack away from holding Iris' hand and leading her away from Eurus, from Drayden, from this darned Village forever, and never coming...

 **"** _ **Protect**_ **."**

Sawk ran headfirst into the shimmering purple shield and fell to the ground with a thud. Before Trip could react, Eurus called out one final instruction to finish the job. " _Dragon Rage_."

 **oOoOo**

Iris looked away as the blue ball smashed into Sawk and left the poor Pokemon fainted on the ground, for all of the world to see. The Villagers all cheered and clapped, but she could not even hear them. She merely looked at Eurus - his pearly skin, his hobbled walk towards Fraxure, his pale red eyes - and then towards Trip - the young man that she had known so well, defeated, returning Sawk to his Pokemon ball and standing there, staring into space, not able to return her gaze even for an instant. She tore her own eyes away, noticing the cheering crowd had fallen completely silent, Drayden standing now, as commanding as ever. He wore a large, smug grin on his face as he addressed his triumphant fighter.

"Eurus, you have done the Village proud. Come and collect your _prize_."

Eurus looked at Trip, then at Drayden, then finally at Iris. The girl he had grown up with and known for his entire life. The beautiful girl with tanned skin and legs that seemed to go on forever. He looked down at his own pale and mis-shapen form. He remembered that very morning, as he walked through the forest to get to his own ceremony, something he had been dreading and fearing for years, ever since he had first heard of the pact. The whispers that had filtered through the trees, not knowing he was within earshot.

 _"What a waste, that beautiful young thing...married to_ _that_ _..."_

 _"Imagine their children...long purple hair, tanned skin...but a third leg, probably!"_

 _"She deserves better..."_

He shook his head, turning his back on Drayden, on the Village, on his whole sordid past. Ignoring the gasps and confused cries, Eurus turned his head back over his shoulder and left his final, chilling words hanging in the air as he headed for the Village gate.

 _"I don't want her."_

 **oOoOo**

 **Eurus is the victor...but he won't be taking Iris home as the trophy. What will happen next? Tune in next time to find out! Apologies for the long gap in between chapters!**


	13. Exiled

Ariadne felt herself running after Eurus, pushing through the murmuring villagers like a knife through butter. Fortunately for her, the boy was not difficult to catch. Even with a determined spring in his step, his awkward gait made him an easy target. He was steadily aproaching the gate when she reached, as the horde of villagers up the incline watched on with bated breath.

"Eurus, wait," she called breathlessly, which was odd because she was not tired in the least. "Please, come back. The Village needs this. Iris needs this. _You_ need this."

"I don't need anything," Eurus mumbled, not taking his eyes off the villager in control of the gate. "That's what nobody here has ever realised. This place may need me. But I don't need it any longer. Open the gate!"

The scrawny boy atop the high wall stood, stunned, without a single idea of what to do. Chances are the standoff would have continued all day had Drayden not slowly walked towards them, bellowing loudly even at some distance. "Open the damn gate. Let him go. But make sure you close them fully. He is never to step one single, deformed step into this Village ever again."

The boy wavered again, but one single glare from Drayden was all it took for him to nod in agreement and begin turning the large wheel atop the stone. The large gate slowly began to creak open, but before Eurus could leave, Ariadne leaned in and grabbed his arm desperately. "Eurus...think not only on what you are doing...how it affects you...but also what he will do to Iris. Please...I can't lose her again. She belongs here...with me."

Eurus chuckled shrilly, his red eyes shining bright in the sun overhead. "If you think Iris belongs here, trapped in this madhouse with you and the other followers, then you know her even less than I realised. Goodbye, Ariadne."

With that, Eurus broke free of the woman's grasp and hobbled through the gates, out into the world. The boy atop the gate worked quickly, and before she knew it, the large stones were closed off once more. She fell to the ground, beside herself, and looked back towards Drayden who frowned deeply. He turned to the villagers and shook his head sadly, before pointing at Trip, still standing in place on the field.

"You...you outsiders, you poison everything you touch. I knew all along. The minute Team Plasma soiled this region with their greed and their vile doings," Drayden spat. "You are all the same. Find your friend. Take this...thing...this girl. She is never to return either, else her punishment will be so severe she will have wished to have shared Arke's fate up in the mountains."

Before Trip even had the chance to reply, Drayden turned and began to walk away, back up the hill towards his secluded cabin. Sioren had the presence of mind to run to Ariadne, crawling along the ground pathetically back towards Iris, who merely stood in place, unblinking, uncaring. Something had changed in the girl, and Trip was afraid to find out what. He stumbled towards her, ignoring the chatter around him, and soon found himself looking up at the girl, resplendent in her ceremonial gowns, but a shadow of her former self. "Iris...we have to go. Come on...take my hand. Let's find Luke and go."

The girl looked down at the hand, then over at her crying mother, huddled in the arms of Sioren. She looked back over her shoulder at Drayden, walking back up the hill, then at Axew's timid face poking out from her long purple locks. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. She wanted to wail. But she just stood there, not answering her friend, not doing anything. She wanted to bury deep down into the earth like Excadrill and never return to the surface. She could be with Arke there. They would never need anybody else ever again.

 _"Iris, please."_

 **oOoOo**

Elder sat on the highest hill with a frown, watching the villagers disperse underneath her line of vision. She had chosen not to attend the battle - she had never been one for battling, and the very thought of watching two young warriors fighting tooth and nail for a chance at stealing the life of a young girl she had known so dearly for many years; it boggled her mind. She had not needed to be down there to understand what had happened, however; Ariadne's pathetic form told the whole tale, even from such a distance.

Footsteps behind her alerted her to a presence entering Drayden's cabin. She looked back to see the leader entering, without speaking, slamming the door behind him. She knew better than to disturb him on occasions such as this. But, still, she had no choice. She knew that, clearly. Eurus leaving had done more damage than the boy ever could have realised. Privately sneaking away in the night was one thing, but deliberately disobeying Drayden's wishes in front of the whole village? There would be ramifications.

The woman hobbled over to the cabin and, pushing the door open, entered to find the light low and the carpet upended, revealing Drayden standing amongst the dragon eggs, picking a few up and turning them over curiously in his hand. "Drayden. We must speak about what has happened. More importantly, what we must do now."

Drayden looked up, but did not speak. He picked up another egg and slid it into his pocket, absent mindedly running his hands over the others. Elder took this as a sign to continue. "You are dividing the camp. Many here loved Iris...those of whom never had to replant their gardens because of her hijinx with Arke, I suppose. They won't take her banishment well. Nor Eurus - they may not have loved he as they did Iris and Arke, but they saw his strength on the battle field against the young outsider today. With every strong youngster you send away, you are gambling with the future of this Village more and more. Don't you understand?"

With a sudden burst of audacity, Elder reached out and grabbed Drayden's wrist. She looked down at his skin and gasped, suddenly realising the entire situation. She leaned in towards Drayden's ear and whispered, wary of the footsteps steadily approaching the cabin from further down the hill.

"You must go. Now. Just do me a favour. Let them thrive. Let them fly. Let them survive."

 **oOoOo**

Trip and Iris walked through the impending dusk, having returned empty handed from some hours of searching through the woods and down by the river. It was not until they returned to the small ramshackled cabins that they heard a boy's voice calling from the distance, and they turned to find Luke running up to them. "Have you seen Zorua? I've been looking for ages, but he's nowhere to be seen. You don't think...you don't think they could have done anything to him, do you? Oh...I'm Luke, by the way, Trip's friend."

Luke held a hand out to Iris, but the girl merely stared and remained silent, as she had been for hours. Trip frowned and glared at Luke. "The sun is about to set, Luke. We've got to get the hell out of here before he throws us out...or worse. This is no time for you and Zorua to go out on a damn picnic. We've got to..."

A high pitched giggle drew their attention to their right, and a slightly-framed villager bounded towards them, standing in front of Luke with a devilish grin on her face. Luke recognised the giggle instantly. "Zorua! Where did you get to?"

The Pokemon merely giggled and shook its head at its annoyed trainer. They had found him just in time. They hastily made their way towards the gates only to find a small party waiting for them. Ariadne, tears streaking down her face, ran forward and clutched Iris hard, not wanting to let go. Drayden stood with arms folded and signalled for the gates to be opened, and the boy obliged instantly. Sioren tried to pull Ariadne off her daughter, but she pushed back and he fell to the ground with a thud. "Stay back, Sioren. Please...Drayden...I beg of you, don't do this. She will repent, she will do whatever you ask of her...I promise you...please don't send her away like this..."

The leader merely growled under his breath and motioned for the group to leave through the gate. Ariadne clutched harder, leaving Iris without breath, and started to scream. Drayden strode towards the two with a sense of purpose, and Trip ran forward at the same time, reaching for Iris and tearing her away from her mother just in time. Drayden's palm connected with Ariadne's nose, and a spurt of blood flew through the air as the woman yelled and fell to the ground. Trip did not need a second invitation. He grabbed Iris by the hand and pulled her quickly through the gate. She looked back and caught a glimpse of her mother being pulled to her feet by Sioren as the gates closed. The last thing she saw was her mother's darkened face, so much like Arke's, eyes blazing into her own as she reached out for the daughter she would more than likely never see again.

 **oOoOo**

It wasn't until they had gotten a few miles out of the Village that Zorua, still in the form of the villager, pointed towards its pocket. Luke failed to notice the signal, but Trip caught it out of the corner of his eye. He stuck his hand into it and, pulling out a strange object, looked at the Pokemon with a look stuck somewhere between fear and admiration.

"Zorua...what have you done?"

Sitting in the palm of Trip's hand was a shiny, hard Dragon egg.

 **oOoOo**

 **Iris and Eurus are gone. Trip and Luke have followed. Drayden has lost precious Dragon eggs; will he seek to recover them. What is next in store for the group as they continue their journey through the Unova region? Tune in next time to find out!**


	14. The Road to Driftveil

The harsh sunlight tore into the man's eyes as he stumbled through the busy streets of Castelia City. He hated coming to the big city; Nuvema Town, as poor as the company had been for much of his time there, was much better suited to his preferences. The only positive he could find about the place was the multitude of bars and taverns, all yearning for business, all hesitant to turn anybody away, even a stinking drunk like himself. As much as he enjoyed this pastime, it had its drawbacks – for the life of him, he couldn't remember where the hell his hotel had been, and he felt an overwhelming urge to vomit in one of the many bins on his way past. He ignored the mothers and fathers brushing past, shielding the eyes of their children from him. _Screw them. What do they know about protecting their children; if they had seen what I have, done what I have had to do…they would not be so judgemental._

His attention was grabbed by a shrill shriek coming from the sky above, and he looked up to see a large and powerful Mandibuzz swooping down to land on his shoulder. He sagged under the weight; his Mandibuzz had never really grasped the growth in mass it had endured since evolving all those years ago from a Vullaby, but he didn't really mind. Since leaving his wife and son, Mandibuzz had truly been his only companion. His only friend and ally in this world. He spotted a note wrapped around one of its legs, and he unwrapped it with apprehension.

 _Have heard the same rumours. Will meet you at Driftveil City, at the usual meeting spot. I'll be waiting. W._

He crumpled up the note and slipped it in his pocket, giving Mandibuzz a pat for his good work, and tried to determine whether the note had truly been good or bad news. Since seeing Trip battling Brycen on the television, he had begun to question whether it had been real at all, or whether it had just been a bad dose of moonshine that had brought him some horrid hallucinations. This confirmed it, at the very least – Team Plasma were rising again, and Trip was somehow involved. _History cannot repeat itself. I will not allow it to happen with my son, just as it happened with my wife._ With a determined, albeit wobbly, step, the man began to walk out of the city, on his way to Driftveil.

 **oOoOo**

"Is she…alright?"

Trip glanced over past the campfire to Iris and didn't respond to Luke's question. The girl, hidden behind her purple curls, sat away from the two staring at the river, absent-mindedly toying with the Dragons eggs safely in her possession. She had barely spoken a word in the days since they had left the Village. She was out of the ceremonial robes at least – Trip had managed to barter with a passing merchant on the road for some plain t-shirts and shorts, which made her look like quite the child, but not a crazed jilted bride at the very least. He had no idea what to say to the girl; where to start? _Arke's death…Eurus rejecting her…being kicked out of the Village forever, and more than likely never seeing her mother again._ Still, the boy knew he had to try. He rose from the fire and walked to his friend, taking a seat next to her on a damp log. She did not look up, nor acknowledge him in any way.

For a time, they sat there in silence. Trip noticed a rustling in the bushes and saw Axew poking his head out, eating some wild berries that were almost sure to make him sick. Still, Iris did nothing. He had noticed that Axew was not travelling in Iris' hair as he had before, but merely walked behind her, head down, a shadow of his former self just as his trainer was. Something had to be done.

"We can talk about Arke if you want, Iris."

Nothing.

"The man who did this…he's gone, isn't he? He isn't going to come back to hurt you."

Still nothing.

"And Eurus…well, it's nothing personal, you know. I get it. He didn't want his future planned out for him. It's nothing to do with you. And you're better off, anyway. Now you can do what you always wanted. Focus on becoming a Dragon Master, the best in the whole Unova Region, without being chained to that damn place without ever being able to escape and have your own life. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

Nothing. _Take a chance._ Trip reached out and grabbed the girl's wrist – it was frighteningly cold, especially for a girl as warm-blooded as Iris. She did not look at him, but not did she tear her hand away in disgust. So he left it there, awkwardly half leaning over towards her, stuck in a conversation-less void that was too much for even Trip to suffer through. He sighed, letting it all go.

"I missed you, Iris. The whole time I was trying to find you, all I could think about was getting you back safe. For the first time in my entire life, I didn't care about winning battles. I didn't care about becoming the best trainer in the entire world. Everything I did, all the battles I fought, the badges I won…they were all designed to lead me back to you. But when I lost to Eurus…when I thought I had lost you forever…I was broken. I knew how you felt…I know how you feel right now."

Trip noticed a tear dribbling down the girl's cheek, and her face began to wobble. Axew put the berry down and watched from the bushes, concerned. Finally, the girl spoke, but the voice was not the same confident and brash tone that the boy had become so used to. It was shaky, unsure, and full of pain and worry. This was not the Iris that Trip knew and… _loved_? "You have no idea how I feel."

She stood up from the log and walked into the bushes, Axew slowly following her after some hesitation. Trip was soon joined by Luke on the log, who sat down and began to skip stones across the lake in front of them. "Man, she needs cheering up."

Trip was too weary to even bother arguing. Luke took Trip's silence as an invitation to continue. "When I was a kid, I didn't have many friends. Surprising, right? I used to come home from school crying every day, wanting to never return, but every day my parents made me. I was miserable."

A smile came over his face and he adjusted his glasses to hide his teary eyes. "One day, when I was around 10 or 11, Mum came home with a special package for me. It was my very first camera. She says that the moment I unwrapped it, something came over me, and I changed forever. I wouldn't come home each day and hide away in my room. I'd go outside, finding anything that I could film, whether it be local trainers having battles or just wild Pokémon roaming around the outside of the town. I joined Media clubs at school, and made new friends outside of school that shared the same passions as me. It was the happiest time of my life."

"That's great," Trip said, trying not to sound too sarcastic. "But what do I care? I don't think Iris is going to be over the moon if I try to get her a gift that I can't even afford."

"I'm not trying to tell you to get her a camera, Trip," the boy retorted. "But consider things from her perspective. She's been kicked out of her home forever. She'll never see her mother or her best friend ever again. She's lost all sense about who she is, what her purpose is. She just needs to be reminded of that."

 _Purpose._ _Of course, why didn't I think of that before?_ "Iris is a fighter, just like me. There's an annual youth Pokémon tournament held in Driftveil City in around a week's time…we can make it there easily. Once she gets battling again, she'll see that she's not worthless. Not to me. Not to anybody."

"That's a great idea!" Luke declared. "Though if we want to make it to Driftveil City, we should pass through Nimbasa City first. That way you can knock off Elesa, get the Bolt Badge, and we can take Iris to the sights and attractions!"

Trip nodded; it seemed like a sound plan in theory. The route that they were taking would indeed take them through to Nimbasa, and the reputation of the place was quite remarkable. Known as the City of Lights, or the City of Entertainment to those in Nuvema Town, the place was famous for its leisure attractions, such as the Musical Theatre and the Big Stadium, filled with sporting events all year round. There was no way that Iris could not be distracted by the hustle and bustle, at the very least. _Besides, what do we have to lose?_

 **oOoOo**

 **Trip and his father are both making their way to Driftveil City! Is this the reunion we have all been waiting for? Find out in the coming episodes, thanks for reading!**


	15. Nimbasa Delights

Trip had been blown away by the sheer magnitude of Castelia City, with skyscrapers that disappeared into the sky, far out of view of any mere mortal. He had felt comforted by the welcoming and humble nature of Nacrene City, the dirt paths winding their way through the densely-forested area. Yet, as incredible as his journey had been so far, nothing could have quite prepared him for the madness that was Nimbasa City.

"See, what did I tell you?" Luke declared, already pulling out his camera to take shots of the scenes that lay before the trio. "There's no place quite like Nimbasa City."

Trip could barely believe that it was night time, as the vast array of multi-coloured lights that bathed the whole area in light shone through the dark. Sure, there were the usual landmarks that any traveller could expect to find in a large regional centre – the Pokecentre, Pokemart and the likes – but what separated Nimbasa from the other places he had visited was the large entertainment district that dominated the entire east side of the town. From their vantage point, Trip could make out a large bumper car arena, more food trucks than he could have imagined existed in the world over, as well as a large Ferris Wheel, slowly turning in the sky.

"It sure is something. Wouldn't you say, Iris?"

Trip was disappointed, but not surprised, to see the girl sitting on the ground as he turned around, absent mindedly rubbing her hand over Axew's head who sat between her legs. She did not bother answering his question, nor even bothered to look up to see the amazing sight that lay before them. Her mood had not improved as they had gotten closer to Nimbasa – if anything, it had worsened – and Trip was starting to worry that even the promise of a ride on a rollercoaster and the taste of fairy floss wouldn't be enough to get Iris back to her old, child-like self. The husk that sat before him was no longer her. _I have to get her back, no matter what it takes._

"Give me a hand, will you, Luke?"

 **oOoOo**

Zorua transformed into a Pidove, flitting up into the sky to enjoy the view of the carnival as the trio walked together below. The cheeky bird even swooped down to grab a lolly out of the hand of a child, leaving it gaping in disbelief and beginning to cry as the chuckling scamp flew up out of reach. Luke managed to spot it, leaving Iris and Trip in his wake as he chased after it with a frown upon his face.

"Hey, Zorua! Give that back! I'll catch up with you guys, okay!"

Trip watched Luke run off into the crowd, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief. _I miss Leo._ Luke was fine, really; but he hadn't proven to be much of a help with Iris thus far. He was a bit of a know-it-all, and even if he wasn't doing it consciously, he could be quite vexing. _A bit of time alone with Iris could prove to be just what she needs to…_

"I want to go on that."

"Sorry?"

Trip's surprise at hearing Iris's raspy voice was overshadowed by his relief as the girl pointed up towards the monstrous Ferris Wheel with apparent enthusiasm. "I want to go on that."

 _Finally._ No sooner had Iris uttered the words that Trip was dragging her towards the base of the Wheel, a portly man operating it and collecting money from people at the bottom. _Oh, no._ The sign next to the man read '$5 a ride' – but rummaging through his pockets, Trip was mortified to find that there was very little with which he could gain entry, unless they would accept a Pokedex or 5 dollars worth of lint. The man smiled as he saw Trip and Iris, rubbing his hands together at the thought of another customer.

"Two tickets for the young couple? That will be 10 dollars, please!"

As much as he had become used to not being able to afford things that he liked, or things that his classmates were able to flaunt back at home, he never quite could get over the feeling of shame that came along with that fact. "I…I only have 5 dollars in coins. Would you mind if we both…"

"Ten dollars," the man grinned, no humour behind it. "Or move along. Hurry, I've got a line to take care of."

 _Idiot._ Stealing a glance at Iris, who refused to meet his gaze but rather was staring upwards in wonderment at the Wheel, he relented. Pushing the coins into the man's hand, he nudged Iris towards the gate. "I'll be waiting down here, Iris. Please…have fun."

The girl stood in place, shivering. Trip narrowed his eyes. The night was not cold. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but thought better of it. Instead, she threw her arms around Trip and squeezed him tight, leaning into his ear and whispering "Thank you…for everything."

He couldn't help but smile as she slowly unwrapped herself from his arms, tears in her eyes. She grabbed Axew from her hair and handed him to Trip as she was secured into one of the cabins by the man, who hit the button. Trip and Axew watched on as Iris slowly rose off the ground, disappearing up into the night sky.

 **oOoOo**

Trip and Axew grew smaller and smaller as Iris's cabin rotated around the large wheel. The only time in her life that she had been up quite this high was when she had ridden Lance's Dragonite…Lance's Ditto…up into the mountains, which seemed like a millennium ago now.

 _Is this what I am being punished for? Was I meant to turn my back on Arke and help Lance? Is that what being a Dragon Master truly is…making sacrifices to ensure their survival? Sacrifices that I was too selfish to make?_

The girl walked to the very edge of the cabin, feeling the night breeze roll over her dark skin.

 _Or am I being punished for forgetting my dreams…my responsibilities…to follow some Outside boy on his own quest?_

She thought of the boy and all they had been through. But then she thought of what was to come, and she tried to block him from her mind. The resolve she felt in stepping into that cabin would disappear in an instant if she overthought it. She shook her head, focusing instead on the questions that had been rushing through her mind for days.

 _Am I being punished for not really wanting Eurus? For turning my back on what is best for the Village? The wishes of my mother?_

Her heart began to beat louder and her mouth had suddenly become as dry as a desert. The time was coming.

 **oOoOo**

Down on the ground, Trip hugged Axew tighter as the small Dragon clawed at the sky, wanting to join its trainer up in the cabin. A small alarm rang out in Trip's mind.

 _Wait…why wouldn't she take Axew up with her?_

 **oOoOo**

 _You're being punished for all of those things, Iris. Arke died because of you. The Dragons will all die out because of you. Eurus knows all of that, and he rejects you for it. Your mother hates you. Your people hate you. You are nothing. Nothing at all._

Iris grabbed the railing above her and slowly lifted herself up until she was standing on the very edge of the cabin. She was steady, just as she had always been. A smile came over her face. For the first time in a long time, she felt in control again. She felt as though she knew what she wanted. What she needed. What she deserved.

And with that thought, Iris jumped.

 **oOoOo**

 **It has been a long time between chapters – hopefully you are still reading, and thank you for your patience. Still a lot to come in Trip's story. Will it be with or without Iris? You'll have to tune in next time to find out.**


	16. Enter Elesa

The rhythmic music resounding from the carousel, slowly rotating around. The gleeful cries of children riding on the nearby rollercoaster. The sizzling of hot dogs cooking in the food stall. The loud 'ping' and cheer coming from the muscular man slamming the hammer down, ringing the bell all the way at the top. None of these sounds, even all working together, could drown out the sound of the woman to Trip's left screaming at the sight of the dark-haired girl quickly falling toward them out of the night sky.

"Oh-my-God! She's going to…"

Trip's hand flew to his pockets, searching madly for a Pokeball…hell, for anything, that could help – but deep down in his heart, he knew this was a futile gesture. The girl was falling far too rapidly. Sawk wouldn't be able to catch her. Servine's vines would not be strong enough to stop her momentum. In seconds, the Iris that Trip knew would be splattered all over the ground at his feet. And there was not a single thing that he could do about it. He closed his eyes, unable to watch, just hoping that the girl would not feel a thing.

" **Galvantula,** _ **Spider Web**_ **!"**

A bright light shocked Trip's eyes open, and quite the scene met his gaze. A wide, buzzing net of electric webs shot through the air and attached itself to the base of a few other rides. Iris, curiously not screaming, nor showing any immediate concern, landed heavily on them. The whole web buckled under the weight, and Trip held his breath, but most of it held firm. The girl, her momentum hugely limited, bounced off the web and fell towards the feet of a stunningly beautiful woman, her hand outstretched with an open Pokeball glowing. Trip could hear an audible thump as Iris' head hit the ground, and her eyes seemed to roll back in her head. _Thank God for that hair._ A loud crack followed as her left arm hit afterwards, taking a large brunt of her fall. She then lay there, dazed, as a large crowd began to push past Trip and around the scene.

"Away…get away, will you? She needs space!"

The murmuring crowd was slow to heed this warning, and the Galvantula, now standing in front of the woman, let out a large bolt of electricity, shocking the first few who fell back with a yelp. A pure fire burned in the eyes of the woman, who continued to shout. The crowd, backing away from the vicious spider, began to listen.

"What if she was your daughter, your sister? Give her space!"

The crowd slowly began to shuffle away, a few security guards coming from the gate to herd people back out into Nimbasa itself. Soon enough, all that were left were Trip, the moaning Iris, Axew – scratching at Iris' feet in complete agony, and the lady herself. She slowly turned to Trip, keeping one hand on Iris' shoulder.

"Are you with this girl?"

"Yes, Elesa."

The woman stopped. "You know me?"

Trip shrugged. "Doesn't everybody?"

This answer seemed sufficient enough as the supermodel turned back to her patient. Ever since he had been a young boy, Elesa was perhaps the Gym leader that Trip had been most excited to meet and battle. The other boys at school would agree with this assertion, given a majority of them had kept posters of the woman on their bedroom walls, or in magazines under their beds, had their mothers disapproved. Girls had never appealed to Trip, not that there were any worthy of his time back home, but Elesa had a beauty that made even Trip weak at the knees. Her long blonde hair fell down over her slender shoulders onto the ground around Iris, creating an odd combination of blonde and purple that Trip found quite alluring. _Not the time, damn it!_

The Gym leader ran her hand tenderly over Iris' face, before giving the girl a tiny slap. Her eyes fluttered opened and she groaned again, her injuries obvious.

"You likely have a concussion, girl. Do not sleep…not until I tell you to. Understood?"

Even in her hindered state, the strength of the woman made Iris take notice. She nodded silently, biting her lip. She could see Trip standing behind Elesa, but she refused to make eye contact with him.

"What is your name? Do you remember?"

Iris nodded, her head pounding. She resisted the sudden urge to vomit all over Elesa's face. "Iris."

"Good," Elesa cooed. "Do you know where you are?"

"Nac…um…Nimbasa City. The carnival."

"Good," Elesa repeated. "Now…and this is important, you hear me? If you lie to me, and I always can tell, then Galvantula here will help me get it out of you. So, for your own good…what happened?"

The supermodel's piercing gaze cut right through Iris like ribbons. _She knows. She probably saw it all. And even if she didn't…she knows. What's the point now?_

"I…I jumped."

The words hit Trip like a steamroller, and he spun around on the spot. The bright lights of the carnival, once so alluring, now danced around in his vision, mocking him like fireflies dancing around the night sky. He felt dizzy, and half fell to the ground, where he put his hand out and sat himself down. _She jumped? Iris tried to…kill herself?_

As Trip crumbled, Elesa stood firm. She reached down and touched Iris' arm, then pulled away as the girl winced. "It's not broken; I've seen enough of those to know. Still, you need tending to. Boy – come here."

Trip rose to his feet automatically, as if no longer functioning himself, but on command from Elesa. If she felt any sympathy for the boy and his feelings, she didn't show it. "I need you to go to the Pokecenter and ask the nurse to come quickly to Elesa's house. She will know where it is. Word will have spread to her already about what has happened. Understood?"

The Gym leader reached down and took out two more Pokeballs, throwing them down with a flash. Trip instantly recognised two of her iconic Pokemon. The smaller of the two, a cute and sleek flying type, was her Emolga, notoriously annoying to battle against. The larger, a Zebstrika, seemed to read the thoughts of its owner, kneeling down on the grass next to the girl. "Emolga, use _Supersonic_ on the girl. The confusion will act as a sedative, provided we keep her still. Zebstrika, be as gentle as you can on the road. Every bump will bring pain for this poor thing."

Trip rushed to help Elesa as she slowly lifted Iris' off the ground and draped her over the back of Zebstrika. The supermodel followed, awkwardly propping Iris up in front of her, cuddling her tenderly as the horse slowly rose onto all fours. The woman, barely giving Trip a second look, began to trot away from the horrific scene.

"But…why…why not a hospital?" Trip called out, concern etched on his confused face.

Elesa hesitated before looking back at the boy. "I can tell you care for her. But she doesn't need a hospital. She just needs help. Now go. Remember what I said."

 **oOoOoOo**

"This is it."

Trip barely believed Nurse Joy as she walked up to the front door of the modest home on the outskirts of the city. _A supermodel lives here?_ The area was not impoverished by any means, and the home seemed, well, homely enough from the outside, but it was no mansion – there were no fountains in the garden, or any extravagance that Trip had expected to find outside a place that the famous Elesa would own. Joy, unperturbed, knocked on the door and smiled as Elesa answered.

"Thank you for coming, Joy…she's in my bedroom. I gave her some warm Moo Moo Milk, and she seems to have nodded off. Still…better safe than sorry, right?"

Nurse Joy smiled, jangling the medicinal bag she was carrying in her hand. "Health is not something that should be taken for granted, Elesa. Thank you for bringing me, Trip. Would you like to…?"

"I'll deal with Trip," Elesa said quickly, motioning for Joy to enter. She slipped through the door, flashing Trip an apologetic grin, and the Gym leader stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

"Is Iris okay?"

"Relatively. But what I ask of you now, Trip, you must understand it is in the best interests of the girl laying half-dead in my bedroom in there."

Elesa breathed in deep, before meeting Trip's gaze directly. "I want you to leave her. Not forever, maybe just for tonight. But I don't want you here. Not until I get a chance to talk to her about what happened tonight. Why she jumped off that ferris wheel. Why she tried to…well, you know."

Trip's heart sunk to the pit of his stomach and he felt another sudden urge to be sick. "I…she wasn't trying to kill herself over me! She…"

"I'm sure when she's awake tomorrow she will tell me that," Elesa conceded. "But my concern is not with your feelings, I'm afraid. It's with her wellbeing. Please respect that."

The woman reached out, grabbing Trip's wrist. He could have sworn he could feel sparks coming out of her hands, and his hairs stuck up like he's been shocked by a million Pikachu. "I'm not meaning to be a bitch. You just need to trust me. I can help her. But I need to be alone with her. Okay?"

Trip nodded, unable to conjure up the strength to argue. "I…okay. But can I just tell you why…"

"No, Trip," Elesa smiled. "She can tell me. Come back in the morning, okay?"

With that, the Gym leader stepped back inside and closed the door. The carnival lights, far away in the distance, turned off, and the bright city was plunged into relative darkness. Trip slowly made his way down the road, away from his friend, trying to process everything that had happened that night.


	17. Marcel

"You…18?"

"Yeah. What of it?"

The heavyset bouncer smirked as he looked down at the scraggly boy nearer his feet than his eyeline. Not only did his tattered shirt barely meet the requirements for the streets, let alone the prestigious _Luna Nightclub and Bar_ , but recent events surrounding an under-age red-haired trainer and his Zebstrika had led to more strict ID checks in all local establishments.

"Move on, kid. Go and be miserable somewhere else. Ignore the lights, there are plenty of places for it in this town."

Trip shifted his hand threateningly to his pocket, fingering the Pokeball with an odd mixture of disdain and pure tiredness.

"I…said…move."

 **oOoOo**

The man sipped the amber ale sitting in front of him, glad to be rid of the coffee taste that had plagued him on the road for days. The trip towards Driftveil City had proven longer than he had anticipated, and even Mandibuzz had grown wary of staying for so long in its Pokeball, taking to the skies above him, often swooping in circles as he slowly progressed around the road.

 _Not an omen, I hope._

"You Marcel?"

Marcel's eyes shot up at the bartender, holding a piece of paper impatiently as he eyed off the line of patrons making their way to the bar. He'd instantly regretted his choice of venue, for as soon as his tired behind had hit the seat, a flurry of carnival-goers had rushed in, complaining about some early closure due to some incident with a girl on one of the rides. He'd never been the most social person, even at the best of times. And these certainly were not the best of times. He took another swig and grimaced, looking at the bartender and responding with a curt nod.

"Somebody left a message for you earlier tonight. Sounded urgent, like. A woman, blonde, I think."

The man handed over a dirty-looking napkin, and Marcel read on with interest.

 _Rumours getting stronger through the area. Will be monitoring the mansion. This isn't happening again, Marcel. It can't. With love, W._

 _With love?_ He had not seen Wendy for many years, yet the very sight of her fine handwriting on a napkin stinking faintly of beer and piss sent a shiver through his spine that he hadn't felt in some time. The words had the same effect, but not with nearly as much pleasure. _It all should have ended that day when Ghetsis died. Why didn't I do more, damn it. Why did we let it get this far?_

Marcel smacked his glass so hard down on the note that it nearly smashed, and even the distracted bartender called out a blunt warning from the other end of the bar. Admonishing himself for the public display of emotion, and the wasted beer splattered down the front of his shirt, the man dragged himself off his trusty stool and began to make his way through the crowd towards the exit. He suddenly halted, distracted by the sight of a young man arguing ferociously with the taller bouncer outside the door.

 _Oh, God. Trip. Trip?_

Marcel leaned backwards behind a pillar, catching another faint glimpse of his son as a young couple walked out through the door. It slowly shut closed, with Trip shaking his head and quickly disappearing as he walked away from the bouncer, disappointed.

 _Go up to him. Talk to him, damn it. Tell him the truth!_

Marcel moved to exit, but his feet held fast on the floor. His mouth suddenly felt very dry, and only one thought came to mind. Shaking his head, he slowly made his way back to his stool, sat down, and motioned towards the bartender to pour him another drink.

 _Coward._

 **oOoOo**

The sunlight hit Iris' eyes just before the pain did. The girl gasped, chest heaving, and tried to sit up in an attempt to scream. Neither came, as the girl found herself strapped to the wide, soft bed by what appeared to be thin films of spider web with strange buckles on the side.

"Morning, kid."

Now she did scream, though her throat felt as though it was on fire, and it only came out as a pitiful squeak. She managed to rotate her throbbing head just enough to see a man sitting in the corner of the relatively plain room, sitting quietly and smiling her way. She could just make out a stubble-covered face in the growing light. She slowly took in her surroundings, shifting as much as she could uncomfortably on her bed-prison. The man laughed, though kindly, not mocking her in spite of her predicament.

"You don't need to feel bad – it isn't my bed you're using. I don't have much need for it most of the time."

It slowly dawned on Iris that the man wasn't sitting in a chair, but a wheelchair, carefully positioned in the corner of the room. He was a well-built man, with strong forearms and chiselled features that would have looked better alongside Brycen on-screen than with Iris in that contraption.

"I'm Josh. Elesa tells me your name is Iris?"

The girl sat, dumbfounded, struggling to shake the haze from her mind. Josh simply laughed and rolled himself closer to the bedroom door.

"It's okay – she told me you're not much of a talker, neither. Elesa! She's awake!"

In an instant, the door flew open and the stunning Elesa stood in morning robe, carrying a tray. Josh wheeled over to her, grabbing her hand and smiling. The supermodel expertly leaned down, tray never wavering, and gave the man a kiss on the cheek before whispering in her ear, "I can take care of her from here. Thank you, my darling."

"It was nothing, my love."

Joshua gave Iris a warm smile before wheeling himself through the door and closing it gently behind him. Elesa made her way to the side of the bed, placing the tray next to Iris on the bed. She tenderly placed her hand on Iris' forehead, presumably feeling for a temperature, before sitting next to her and looking at her with determined eyes.

"Now, you have to be honest with me, Iris. Do I have a reason to leave these restraints on?"

Iris, awed by the very presence of her saviour, didn't have it in her to do anything except shake her head slowly. Elesa nodded, unclipping the buckles on the side of the bed. Iris felt the air leave her cramped body as the straps were loosened, and the slight tingles in her arms told her circulation was slowly returning. It felt like heaven, not that she wanted to show it. She remained stoic, frowning at her unwitting host.

"You may have noticed that my husband was in a wheelchair."

 _Huh?_ Iris nodded out of instinct, before blushing and looking away. Disabled people weren't often seen in the Village of Dragons, and even those that were had not been as…incapable…as the man she had just met. Eurus managed just fine with his gimpy skin and leg, after all.

"Do you wish to know how he came to be that way?"

After failing to meet her gaze, Elesa shifted her position so that she was sitting next to Iris, who slowly pulled herself up to lean against the bedhead with her knees pulled to her chin. She ignored the throbbing in the arm as Elesa began.

"I had only been in charge of the Gym for about two months when it happened. I took over from my mother, Seline, who used to specialise in Dark type Pokémon. Anyway, when I took over the Gym, I was strong. Not as fierce as I am now, perhaps, but an electrifying Gym leader who blew away her opponents with ease. But something was wrong, you see. The Gym itself was dark, depressing, lacking any style to suit my own amazing look. Surely an internationally recognised supermodel deserved an arena that looked half as good, wouldn't you agree?"

Elesa eyeballed Iris, as though expecting an answer, but continued anyway.

"I spent all of my money on the development. First, we tried an indoor rollercoaster that would take the challengers through a series of tests before reaching my glamourous stage. But I hated it – tacky, no class whatsoever. The second design involved a large runway, that stretched from the door to the back, with strobe lights and a electric show over the crowd area. Not big enough, not grand enough! So I asked every architect I could find to design me an arena that was literally floating in the middle of the Gym – held up by static electricity, that could move and shake as my battles would rage on. How they would cheer, how they would swoon – that's what I said to myself. I pictured myself on every magazine cover from here to Kanto, everyone wanting to battle me and take my photos and just…be me. But everyone refused… _too dangerous_ , they said. But not Josh. He shared my passion, my desire to be special. He volunteered to build the Gym for me."

For the first time, Elesa looked away, but only for a second, as her powerful gaze returned to the spell-bound Iris. "He successfully built a stage that floated a metre off the Gym floor, held up by a team of Emolga. But I told him…no…I want more. I need more! I instructed him to increase the voltage, to get the stage above the heads of everybody in the city. And, in spite of his doubts, he accepted my request. It only took one stray Thunderbolt from a strained Electivire, and he was thrown across the room. His body cracked against the wall and…he was broken. It took several weeks to get him out of hospital, but every doctor in Unova told me he would never walk again. He would never be the same again…because of me."

Iris looked up, expecting to see tears flowing down Elesa's cheeks as much as they were running down hers, but the Gym leader held firm. "We fell in love soon after, Josh and I. I could never imagine that somebody could ever forgive me for what I had done, but he saw through that. And even though he can never walk, never give me children, never give me so many things…he gave me something I will cherish forever. Something I'd like to share with you, Iris. Perspective."

The Gym leader sprang into action, jumping atop Iris and straddling her, pushing her back into her pillow so hard the girl gasped in shock. "I know what happened to you in the mountains. I know what happened with your friend from the Village. Heck, all of Unova knows about that now. But…how dare you honour your friend…and everything that she lost…by wasting away your own life."

Elesa, holding Iris' arms down, stared at her furiously. The Dragon girl bit her lip, unable to respond, a little afraid at the fierce woman before her.

"We aren't defined by our mistakes, Iris. We are defined by what we do after them. It is not too late for you. Repeat what I say. _I am strong._ "

No response. _Slap!_

"Ow!"

"Oh, she does speak! Say it! I am strong!"

"I…I…" _Slap!_ "Please, stop!"

"Say it! I am…"

"No…I…"

 _Slap!_ "Do I need to do this all day? Say it, or I swear that I will…"

"I…am strong."

Elesa held up her hand and leaned in to hear the whisper. "What was that? Say it so all of Unova knows!"

"I am strong."

"Louder! I bet Josh couldn't even hear that in the next room!"

" **I am strong!"**

"Better! I am beautiful!"

" **I am beautiful!"**

"I am not nothing!"

" **I am not nothing!"**

The purple haired girl threw herself onto Elesa, sobbing into her shoulder, shaking from head to toe. The Gym leader, shaking herself, grinned as the girl grabbed onto her luscious hair and squeezed tight, unsure as to whether or not she'd ever let go.

"I am Iris."


	18. Hot-Blooded

Trip waited impatiently at the edge of town, near the signage indicating the direction to Driftveil City, just as the Emolga carrying a note from Elesa herself had instructed him. While his hair was never exactly clean-kempt, it was positively a nightmare, with very little sleep and a huge amount of fret and worry doing nothing for its sanity. The midday sun burned bright into his eyes and it was only an excited cry, and then impact from a jump, that alerted Trip to the presence of the others.

"Axew…'kew!'"

Trip patted the ecstatic Dragon on the head, but his mind was already set on the skinny young girl standing behind Elesa. Even with the events of the night previous in mind, there was a change within her. Maybe Elesa and others would not have noticed, not in a million years; but for Trip, it was undeniable. She wasn't exactly jumping for joy and laughing as she once had, but her eyes sparkled slightly once more, just like they had the very first time they met after battling Ash. The old Iris was not quite back, but she was in there, somewhere.

"Trip, I…"

Before he knew what he was doing, Trip stepped past the others and wrapped Iris deep in his arms, holding her so tight he was convinced he wouldn't ever be able to let go. _Damn what they think. She's alive. She's alive!_ The boy wondered if he had ever felt such a rush of elation, of relief. Beating Brycen had been sweet, and quite an achievement in itself, but he knew that he'd have given up the Freeze Badge and every other damn Badge in the region for the chance to hold Iris in his arms like this again. He slowly reclined, hesitantly, allowing the shocked girl the chance to breathe. She did so, heavily, managing to glance into the eyes of the boy.

"I'm sorry."

"I know. You don't have to…."

"But I do," Iris pleaded softly. "It wasn't anything to do with you, I promise. You're one of the only things I have that…"

 _Not here. Not in front of Elesa._ "Iris, I mean it. You don't have to explain yourself to me. What happened to you…what happened to…well. What happened would have messed with anybody. I'm just glad you're okay. You're going to be better than okay."

The girl managed a slight grin, and Trip stepped back and nodded at the Gym leader. "Thank you, Elesa. I…I can never repay what you've done for me. But, maybe we could…"

"A challenge now would hardly seem appropriate, Trip. Our battle will have to wait, I'm afraid."

The boy did not even attempt to argue. "Of course."

"But," the supermodel grinned. "I was planning on travelling to Driftveil to take part in the upcoming tournament. If you are lucky enough to get drawn against me…and win, as unlikely as that may be, I will happily give you the Bolt Badge. And…well, you tell him, Iris…"

With the most enthusiasm she had shown for some time, Iris grinned at Trip and grabbed a Pokeball, twirling it in the air. "Elesa won't be the only competition you'll have in Driftveil, Trip."

 **oOoOo**

Elesa expertly navigated the pair out of the confines of the brightly-lit city. Trip was not sorry to see the back of it, in all honesty. Apart from the fact it had nearly claimed the life of Iris, the hustle and bustle had not sat well with him at all. What sat in front of him now was much more impressive. He'd often heard it referred to as Charizard Bridge for its dark red colour and elegance, and he found the name very appropriate. The huge structure seemed to stretch up endlessly, a ship passing through down below, making their passing impossible. A tap on the shoulder and rustling of change brought his mind back to the journey at hand.

"Trip, Iris needs to drink," Elesa instructed. "Be a dear and get her something from the cart over there."

The Gym leader smiled as the boy did as she asked, turning back to Iris who was playing with Axew behind her. "Does the boy know the way you feel about him?"

This took Iris by surprise, who allowed Axew to jump back into her hair and turned to Elesa with her wide mouth hanging open. The Gym leader continued, "You'd be surprised what kind of feelings nearly losing somebody can awaken. He might surprise you, you know."

"I…" Iris stated, not quite knowing how to answer Elesa's enquiry. But there was something about the confidence of Elesa that seemed to give her strength, too. Maybe it was time for honesty? _Especially after last night, as she says._ Unfortunately, her reasoning came out too quickly and bothered.

"I don't know, Elesa. There was once…after Trip helped me with Axew…but that was so long ago now. Besides, Trip…and I…have more important things to worry about. I've got so much going on…I'm just not in the right headspace for…I wouldn't know what to do, we barely had boys in the Village…even Eurus didn't want me, and he looks like, well…and Trip hates distractions. If he wants to be the trainer he wants to be, then…"

Elesa cut off the babbling Iris, laughing at the red cheeked girl. "If there is something you want, nobody is going to give it to you. You have to take it, Iris. Go on. The time for fear is over, remember? I am strong…I am beautiful…I am…"

"Yeah, yeah," Iris muttered, trying to hide her nerves from the giggling Gym leader. She looked up, heart stammering, to see that Trip was quickly returning with the drinks. Elesa smiled knowingly and walked past the boy, eyeing off the ship that was quickly fading away into obscurity.

"I will have to speak to the operator to get the bridge lowered for us. You two stay here."

Elesa slinked off in a typically seductive manner, leaving Trip standing in front of a blushing Iris holding two lemonades. The girl, aware of the silence between the two, felt a sudden need to ease the dryness that had overcome her mouth. She plucked a can out of Trip's hand, and after clicking it open, proceeded to chug the whole beverage in one foul swoop. _Mistake._ She could feel it coming a mile off, but was powerless to resist. A huge belch erupted from her mouth, hitting Trip directly in the face, nearly knocking the poor boy off his feet. _That's the perfect way to make a romantic gesture. Way to go, Iris._

If she was worried, she had no need to be. A small smile crept over Trip's face, and before Iris knew it, the boy had tossed his head back and was laughing with abandon. The girl stretched her mind back through their entire journey, trying to remember a time he had laughed like this. He fell to the ground, body shaking, and she soon joined him. Passers-by looked on with bemusement as the giggling teenagers leaned back against each other, chests heaving, tears running down their cheeks. Silence finally fell, with Trip and Iris looking in opposite directions absent mindedly. Iris' heart slowed right down, but seemed to get louder, as she stared at the boy's hand, laying lonely on the ground next to her.

 _Do it. Take the leap…no, not like last night…just do it already!_

Iris' slender fingers intertwined with Trip's. They were hard, calloused; the hands of a hard worker, not exactly those you would read about in the romantic stories. Not that she minded – they were his. She could feel the boy's fingers pull back slightly, as if surprised by the sudden intimacy, but then they slowly curled around hers and the warmth of her palm told her all she needed to know. It felt right, as though that was where her hand had belonged all along. The girl smiled, and even though she could not see Trip's face, she could tell that he was smiling too.

 **oOoOo**

The three Team Rocket members whistled in unison at the mere sight of the rock wall facing them, as they ducked back behind a boulder. A brilliant sunset was slowly disappearing over the horizon, nightfall quickly approaching. If they were to strike, it would have to be with the total blanket of darkness protecting them.

"Now I see why Lance really wanted out help," James wailed helplessly. "It's pointless! There's no way we even get in there, let alone steal Dragon eggs off one of the strongest Gym leaders in Unova!"

"You two distract the guards," Ditto-Meowth grinned. "I know where the eggs are."

"What? How could you possibly know that?" Jessie eyed Ditto-Meowth suspiciously.

"Because, unlike you, I'm no dummy," Ditto-Meowth taunted the furious woman. "Drayden keeps them in his hut, of course. Where else would be feel they were safe from liberators like us?"

"Liberators?" James asked, puzzled. "That's a big word."

"So buy a dictionary," Ditto-Meowth shot back. "Are we doing this, or not?"

The two humans nodded as Ditto-Meowth grinned. _Lance's death would not be in vain._

 **oOoOo**

The sounds of murmuring Villagers and Drayden's booming voice from the stony gates was all the signal that Ditto required. It quickly leapt into the air as Meowth, changing quickly into a swooping and miniscule Zubat. Flying up, eyes darting back and forth through the night for danger, Ditto made a bee-line towards the lonely cabin at the top of the hill before it. There was bit a tiny gap in the window, left open, but it was enough. Ditto landed expertly inside the darkness and quickly scanned the floor. It was almost too easy; the sonar of the Zubat made locating the hidden grotto quite simple, and once transformed back into Meowth, the retractable claws enabled Ditto to open the compartment. The bounty was fantastic – eggs upon eggs, more than Ditto could count. Stretching the Meowth-ears, the commotion from below had died down. _There's no time to waste._

In an instant, where Ditto-Meowth had just stood, a festering pile did stew on the floor. Ditto-Muk carefully rolled down over the eggs, feeling satisfying pops each time one of the morsels became stuck and sucked up into the glutenous body. _One…two…three…four…it would just be a matter of time before the Muk-body was dragging itself up and over the stone wall, and then the eggs could be…_

"You're not the Zorua from before, are you?"

The voice shocked Ditto out of its dream-like state, and from that point on instinct took over. The Dragon eggs popped out of the gunky-body as it quickly transformed from Muk into the sleek and intimidating Scyther. A couple of them smashed into pieces against the walls. _No time to worry about them now._ Ditto slashed out through the dark room with reckless abandon, and watched on as Elder fell to the floor with a cry, frail arms flying to the deep cut from one end of her throat to the other.

Ditto did not have any time to recover, as the door to the hut burst open and two adults entered, breathless.

"Elder," Sioren panted. "Drayden captured the intruders, he wants you to…"

"Oh, my…" Ariadne shook, finger pointing at the horror laying before her. "Elder, she's…"

Ditto did not choose to hang around any longer, quickly changing back into Zubat and shooting upwards out of the narrow gap in the window. It did not look back as the blue and grey-haired trainer thrust a ball into the hair, with a menacing three-headed dragon trying to fight its way out of the window to follow. The last thing Ditto saw as it disappeared into the night was the younger woman crying, holding the body of the elderly woman as she choked softly and took her final breaths.

 **oOoOo**

" _ **They come into our home…they steal our children from us…they destroy our eggs, the very future of our Village! And now…they kill our oldest and wisest trainer. This will not stand!"**_

The Villagers all voiced their anger as Drayden, displaying Elder's body before them like some kind of sick trophy, paced back and forth at the stony gates. Over to the side, Jessie and James were tied down, terrified out of their minds. For once, they had the sense to remain silent. Villagers shot them murderous glances, baying for blood.

" _ **If it's war they want, then war they shall have," Drayden roared. "Be with me tonight, brothers and sisters. Be with me now!"**_

The other Villagers roared back, throwing their hands up in the air. Ariadne did not follow, but backed away from Sioren as he joined in the action with little thought. She hurried back to her cabin, still trying to wipe the blood and memory of Elder's body out of her mind. Looking down, the red almost appeared purple in the moonlight, and her thoughts returned to those of her daughters.

 _Blood begets blood. History repeats. Please, please. Do not let Iris follow Arke. Please…let her be safe._


	19. Welcome to Driftveil

Out of all the cities they had visited thus far, Driftveil was the one that appealed to Trip the most. Castelia had intimidated him with its sheer magnitude, while Nimbasa's carnival atmosphere was shrouded with noise, crowded areas and, well, what had nearly happened to Iris. Driftveil felt like a welcome return to something resembling home. It wasn't as though Trip held many fond memories of home per se, but he enjoyed the calm and peace that its memory provided in times of chaos. The dirt-covered roads and smattering of smaller, humble buildings and hotels offered some sweet respite from the clatter they'd come from.

Standing next to the boy, Iris could sense Trip's growing ease. _He's finally beginning to act like his old self…before what happened with Arke. He's not treating me like I'm broken any more. So why won't he grab my hand again?_ She shifted towards him, holding her hand out subtly as though to attract his attention, but to her frustration the boy held his own hand up instead and pointed at an incoming bus, pulling up next to the Pokémon Centre in the distance. "Why so busy, Elesa? It doesn't feel like that kind of town."

"You may have read about these tournaments, Trip," Elesa smiled. "But lately, Clay has put a lot more effort into advertising his events around the entire world. Trainers come from all over to take part. It's why he's opened the tournament up to all trainers, too, not just those in junior ranks. More of a challenge, you see."

Trip turned to Iris, a determined look plastered over his face. He was surprised to see her standing awkwardly, hand out to the side, but gave a small fist pump to his chest. "I hope you and Excadrill are ready, Iris. Because I'm not going to be holding back, even if I draw you First Round!"

The girl pulled her hand back and patted her pocket knowingly. "Who says I'm using Excadrill, Trip?"

 **oOoOo**

Down the southern end of town, the lonely dirt road gave way to a paved pathway that led directly to a large stadium. The murmuring of a horde of people reached Trip's ears from a mile away, and he felt the sudden urge for quiet again. Luckily, this time that urge was outweighed by his genuine excitement about the tournament to come. _Remember how good it felt when you beat Brycen in front of all of Unova. This is your chance to do it again. Show them what you're made of!_ In the distance, Trip thought he spotted a familiar head of spiky hair, but he did not get the chance to check it out. Elesa motioned them to the side, and Trip and Iris quickly followed.

"Follow me," Elesa instructed, quickly posing for a photograph with a small fan before darting through a side door, away from the masses. "Let me speak to Clay, he'll get you signed up quick smart."

The door opened to reveal a spacious and glamorous lobby. A line of people seemed to be dotting the red carpet, struggling to get to the front of the line where a handful of bemused women typed frantically away on their computers, clearly trying to register trainers for the tournament. A deep belly laugh interrupted Trip from the scene, and he looked up to see a portly and bearded man strut towards them, a huge ten-gallon hat atop his head.

"Elesa," the broad-chested man grinned, winking in Iris' direction. "My darlin', ye finally decided that rolling-bag-o-bones you call a boyfriend ain't got nothing on old Clay here?"

Iris recoiled at the disrespectful mention of Josh, but Elesa was clearly more adjusted to Clay's sense of humour. "Oh, quiet you. I'm here to enter your tournament; along with my two new friends here."

"And who might they be?" Clay guffawed, eyes trained firmly on Iris. Elesa rolled her eyes as Trip, unhappy, stepped forward.

"I'm Trip. And that girl you're ogling is Iris."

"Ogling? Fancy word for a fancy kinda folk, is that right? Back in the day, I'd have ya diggin' holes down at the old lake for that," Clay chided. The man looked angry for a second, before slapping Trip hard on the shoulder and letting out another deep laugh. Trip felt the wind leave him and struggled to catch his breath, as Clay did the same.

"I'm just yankin' yer chain, boy. Anyway, I knows who you are."

Iris shifted uncomfortably on her feet, clearly hoping her story had not reached the knowledge of every single living person in the region. Luckily, she had nothing to fear.

"I seen you beating that fool Brycen on live television just last week! Made me happier than a Mudsdale swimming in a sea of hay. 'bout time somebody put that joker in his place. Come with me, kids. We needs to get youse signed up right now. Martha! Martha! These two next!"

The crowd roared their disapproval as Trip and Iris skipped the line, finding themselves quickly sitting on seats in front of Martha, a heavyset woman with thick makeup covering most of her face. _She looks like a damn cake._ Clay turned and dealt with the crowd as the lady began to type just as efficiently as she spoke.

"Name?"

"Uh, Trip."

"Can I see identification, please?"

Trip handed over his Pokedex to the expectant Martha. "Excellent. Thank you, Trip. Now, for the tournament you may select two Pokémon, and each match will be a one-on-one with either of your choosing. Which two Pokémon will you choose?"

"Easy," Trip quipped. "My Servine and Sawk."

"Very well. They are registered. Please be here tomorrow at 8 sharp, the First Round will be drawn and competition will commence. Good luck. And you?."

The lady, obviously busy, had no time for warm wishes, but that suited Trip just fine. He was more focused on listening intently to Iris as she went through the same mundane procedure.

"Name?"

"Iris."

"Can I see identification, please? Excellent. Thank you, Iris. Now, for the tournament you may select two Pokémon, and each match will be a one-on-one with either of your choosing. Which two Pokémon will you choose?"

"Excadrill," Iris muttered, keeping her voice lower and lower with a cheeky glance at Trip. "…and also my…"

The girl's voice faded into nothingness, but the lady behind the desk nodded and tapped quickly at the keys in front of her.

"Very well. They are registered. Please be here tomorrow at 8 sharp, the First Round will be drawn and competition will commence. Good luck. Next, please."

 **oOoOo**

"You could model, you know."

"I'm sorry?"

Elesa stood from the edge of the hotel bed and slinked across the room to Iris, who had been absent mindedly playing with the flat screen television that equal parts amazed and frightened her. "You heard me. You could model. You saw the way that Clay looked at you."

"I didn't like the way he was looking at me," Iris moaned. "It felt gross."

The Gym leader grabbed a hairbrush from the counter and forcibly sat Iris down on the couch, beginning to tear the brush through her thick purple locks. The girl cried out in pain and surprise, and Axew's head poked out in shock at the sudden disturbance from its slumber. "Hey! Cut it out!"

"Oh my God, when did you last wash this hair!" Elesa scorned, like an angry mother. "Iris, how is Trip ever going to take care of you until you take care of yourself! You want him to notice you, don't you? And hold your hand…"

Elesa laugh as Iris squirmed, unable to escape her clutches. "You _are_ beautiful, Iris. And more powerful than you know. You're going to win this tournament. And, in my hands, you're going to do it in style. Do you hear me?"

"I…I guess," Iris whispered. "But I don't think a haircut is going to help Trip notice me, Elesa. I don't think that's the kind of girl he wants."

"Iris, trust me – there is only one thing boys want, in the end," Elesa laughed.

"Trip's not like other boys."

Elesa smiled and rolled her eyes, falling back against the bed laughing at the younger girl's ignorance, leaving her bemused with the brush sticking out of her half straight hair.

"Trip is exactly like other boys. He just doesn't know it yet."

 **oOoOo**

Trip sat at the desk in his hotel room, skimming over some roughly written notes in front of him on the complimentary notepad. He muttered to himself over and over as he felt a yawn coming on, but without the need for sleep that would normally accompany it. "Servine against Water, Rock…use Vine Whip for space against dual types, use Sawk instead for…"

 _I wonder what Iris is up to._

 _Stop it._ "…Sawk for Steel types, Normal types, but have to be wary if the opposition has any Ghost types in their…"

 _I wonder if she's still awake. I should go and…_

 _No. Focus._ "…Sawk for…Servine can…I…"

There was no use. The boy slumped in his chair, letting the exhaustion overtake him. His excitement for the tournament had gotten him this far into the evening, but there was surely such a thing as being too prepared for something. He went to switch off the light, and head to bed, when there was a quick knock at the door. Annoyed, Trip quickly answered to find a hotel worker standing there, slightly sheepish.

"Sir, so sorry to disturb you this late…but this was just dropped off at the reception desk. From a Leo? Said you'd know who he was."

"Leo…was here?"

"Not exactly…a large Musharna floated in, this floating beside it. It left just as quickly. Here…"

The man held out a shiny Pokeball. Trip took it, turning it over in his hands, thinking back to the Plume Fossil he had left with Leo, so long ago. _Could it be?_

 **oOoOo**

"They are registered, Ash. Please be here tomorrow at 8 sharp, the First Round will be drawn and competition will commence. Good luck. Next!"

The eager Ash got up from his seat, high fived Pikachu enthusiastically, and ran to leave the building so quickly that he nearly knocked a sturdy-looking Mandibuzz right off the shoulder of an older gentleman standing next in line.

"Oh, sorry about that!" Ash called out as he ran out of the building. "See you on the battlefield!

The man shook his head at the brash figure leaving a thin trail of dust in his wake. _Kids._ He spotted the eyeshadow-heavy woman waving his way, and he took a seat in front of her, patting his Mandibuzz on the beak as she spoke in an impatient tone.

"Name?"

"Marcel."


	20. Round One Begins!

The morning sun shimmered with possibility off the waters of the Driftveil docks as Trip and Iris made their way into the back entrance of the large arena. It seemed to stretch upwards endlessly, though Trip realised that his experience of tall buildings had basically been entirely of Castelia City and what stood before him. Either way, it was an impressive structure. All around, the other trainers prepared with their Pokémon standing proudly before them. Trip recognised Ash, who waved, and turned away quickly. By Ash, Stefan flexed his muscles next to a red lump that Trip recognised as a Throh, a powerful Fighting type. Bianca's poor Emolga fluttered about helplessly, trying to get her attention, as she focussed all of it on Stefan's biceps.

"I hope I draw Ash," Iris spoke, drawing Trip out of his daydreaming. "I'd love to beat a trainer from another region. Though I'd settle for you, Trip."

The boy grinned, but remained focussed. Among the few remaining trainers was a broad-shouldered man with his back turned, a strong-looking Mandibuzz perched on his shoulder eyeing Trip off closely. He recognised Chili from Cilan's Gym, giving his Pansear a pep-talk with an animated look on both of their faces. Next to him, a familiar looking dishevelled man laughed as he held out a collection of half empty bottles for a young girl to look at.

"Super Potions, you say? But I thought you weren't allowed to use healing items during tournament battles?"

The man laughed, a shrill cackle, and Trip recognised him instantly as Locke, Leo's brother from Castelia City. He could see is very own Basic Badge hanging off the scoundrels shirt, and he approached with fists drawn. "You're right, they're not. This two-bit conman is trying to get you kicked out of the competition…or worse."

Locke stood and glared as Trip as recognition flooded over him as well. "Oh, Trip. Long time no see."

"Not long enough," Trip shot back. "Beat it."

Locke mumbled under his breath, but collected his dusty bottles and made haste for the other side of the room. The girl, long blonde hair dancing underneath a white veiled hat, smiled shyly. "Well, thank you for that! I'm…"

The girl was interrupted by a large screen television bursting to life on the far wall of the room. On the screen, he was part nervous and part excited to see a very large crowd building up already. The smiling face of the telecaster faded away, and the faces of Trip and the other trainers in the competition flew around, before landing in a particular order.

 **oOoOo**

"And here is the announcement of the First Round matchups! In Pool A, we have…

 **LOCKE vs. JONAH**

 **JENNY vs. EMILY**

 **TRIP vs. LILLIE**

…and…

 **MARCEL vs. EURUS!** "

"In Pool B, it comes down to…

 **ASH vs. STEFAN**

 **BIANCA vs. IRIS**

 **ELESA vs. TED**

…with our two remaining competitors being…

 **JEANETTE vs. CHILI!** "

 **oOoOo**

Trip's eyes shot around the room, trying to spot his opponent. The girl behind him giggled and held out her hand tentatively. "I think you're looking for me, Trip. I'm Lillie."

Trip returned the gesture and shook her hand warmly. There was something very open and inviting about the girl, which put Trip at ease. Some pure innocence which was a nice contrast to the horrors he had suffered during the past weeks. Iris watched Trip shake the girl's hand for a moment, frowning, before returning her gaze to the screen with a smirk. _Bianca? The poor thing won't know what's coming to…wait. Eurus?_

 _ **Bang!**_

Iris didn't have a chance to react before Bianca smashed into her from behind, pulling her close into a huge bear hug. Iris didn't have it in her to fight, but gave a goofy smile and leaned back into the warm embrace. "Hello, Bianca."

"Oh my Goodness!" Bianca shouted into her ear. "My first tournament, and I get to battle against one of my very best friends ever! What an absolute, one hundred percent, love everything, treat!"

"I wouldn't be too excited. I've seen her battle before."

If Iris recognised the maddening hands scrambling around her sides, she definitely recognised the sickly yet confidence voice behind them both. He span, shifting Bianca with her incredibly powerful hips, and saw the pathetic sight of Eurus leaning on a walking stick. "Eurus."

"You're speaking again, I see."

"Well, you know what they say about married couples."

Eurus smiled, before turning and walking away. "I hope to see you in the latter rounds, Iris. I want to see how strong that Axew has become."

Iris grabbed at the Pokeball at her waist and smiled. _You may not even get the chance._

 **oOoOo**

The first match was over rather quickly. Jonah sent out his Palpitoad against Locke's Bisharp. While Trip hated Locke, and would have given anything to snare his Basic Badge back, even he had to admit that the Bisharp he had raised (not stolen, but who could know?) was a force to contend with.

Jenny and Emily followed, but it was a much longer battle than the first. Emily's Lampent seemed to have the advantage at first, getting a Will-o-Wisp against Jenny's fierce Stoutland in the opening seconds of the game, but Stoutland simply refused to go down. It eventually knocked out the Lampent with a well-timed Bite.

Before he knew it, the time to make his debut on the big stage had come.

 **oOoOo**

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the local lad from Nuvema Town, making his Driftveil City debut…you saw him against Brycen, you love to hate him…"

 _Love to hate me?_

"…give a warm welcome to, Trip!"

Trip, heart pounding, made his way out onto the compacted sand of the arena. The battlefield was a simple one, no obstacles or elaborate fields, just a nice open dirt patch. One for the purists. Trip could appreciate the simplicity. He looked around, but oddly enough could not register the roars of the crowd. Everything seemed to fade away as he watched the girl walk nervously to her spot across from him.

"And, all the way from the Alola Region, also making her Driftveil City debut, let's hear it for the beautiful Lillie!"

The girl seemed to blush at the compliment, hiding away underneath her broad hat. But when she looked up, she had a definite glint in her eye. "I may be new at battling, Trip – but I learned plenty from my time in Kanto. Don't expect an easy match, now!"

Trip's heart sunk slightly – as soon as he'd heard that Lillie was from the far away Alola region, he'd been excited to see one of the zany Alola variants of Pokémon that Professor Juniper had once told him about. But these thoughts were put to bed by the announcer declaring, "Let the match begin!"

"Right," Lillie reassured herself. "Vulpix, let's show them what we're made of!"

After a shimmering light, a sleek red Vulpix stood in front of Lillie, admiring itself in the reflection of one of the cameras to the side of the field. The crowd oohed and aahed, not accustomed to viewing such a glorious and beautiful fox. But they failed to see what Trip saw, plain and simple. _She's inexperienced; she said it herself. The Vulpix isn't much better – unevolved. Weak. Better make this quick…_

"Sawk, you know what you have to do."

Sawk sprang into action, landing on the field with a menacing punch to the ground that seemed to shake the dirt around Vulpix, who suddenly looked back at Lillie with uncertainty. Trip admired the fact that Lillie did not share this fear, but smiled instead. "Let's give it our best, Vulpix. Fire off a Quick Attack to start!"

Vulpix nodded and jumped into battle with impressive speed, shooting across the field and striking Sawk on the shoulder with a direct hit. The damage seemed minimal, however, and the inexperienced Vulpix landed far too close to Sawk to be out of range. "Sawk, hit back with Counter!"

Sawk moved far too quickly for the little fox, striking it directly in the chest and shooting it back across towards Lillie with a howl of pain. The girl, however, did not seem perturbed. "That's okay, Vulpix! Fire off a Flamethrower and keep your distance!"

 _Smart. But it won't be enough._

"Sawk, fight through the flames and finish it off!"

A medium amount of fire was shot across the field, but Sawk's impressive timing was on full display. The perfectly timed Karate Chops enabled Sawk to get closer and closer to Vulpix, who kept up the attack with sheer determination. However, to Lillie's dismay, it was not enough. The Vulpix, exhausted, finally relented, and looked up to see Sawk standing right above it. All it took was one more swift Karate Chop and Vulpix was down for the count, fainted on the spot.

"Vulpix!"

" _Vulpix is unable to battle, Sawk is the winner! Which means the winner of this round is Trip, from Nuvema Town! He progresses to the next round!"_

 **oOoOo**

Trip's emotions swirled all around him as he leaned against the wall of the corridor after his battle. He should have felt pride, and to some extent he did, but the battle had been far to quick and easy to really claim. _Those battles will come in the latter rounds. You can only beat who is there in front of you._

"Hey, Trip?"

Trip looked to see Iris standing next to him, smiling. "That was a great battle, Sawk has gotten really tough! I can't wait to…"

"Wait a minute, Iris."

Iris pouted as Trip pushed past her, and her face grew as purple as her hair when she saw why. The boy was approaching the Alola girl, who was tending to her tired Vulpix on the floor nearby. The girl, annoyed, turned back to watch the next trainer make his way out towards the field.

"Hey," she called out towards the man, who barely turned her way. "I know the guy you're battling. Eurus – he's really tough. Don't take it easy on him."

The man seemed to look past her, smiling in Trip's direction with a hint of…almost pride…on his face. "Don't worry about me, sweetheart. I've battled tougher that this kid before."

With that, Marcel walked out onto the field and released his mighty Mandibuzz up into the sky above the arena. He watched his opponent, announced as a young prodigy from the Village of Dragons, hobble his way onto the field as well. _The Village of Dragons, huh? Well…this was going to be fun._

 **OOoOo**

"I'm so proud of you, Vulpix," Lillie smiled, ignoring the sounds of the new battle raging on the field not far away. "You've come a long way from when we started our journey together. You're only going to get better and better!"

"Sure," a voice interrupted. "As long as you're smarter about the way you train it."

Lillie looked up to see Trip standing over her. The boy leaned down and ran his hands through Vulpix's soft fur. The Pokémon growled its approval, closing its eyes and enjoying the attention.

"Excuse me?" Lillie frowned. "Smarter?"

"It's simple," Trip replied. "Vulpix evolves into Ninetales when you use a Fire Stone. But you have to make sure you get the timing right. It won't be able to learn certain moves if you evolve it too early."

Lillie looked at her partner and smiled. "But why would I want to evolve something so perfect?"

 _Perfect? Did she just see it get crushed by Sawk? Give me a break!_ "Well…because if you evolve it, it will get stronger."

Lillie looked up at Trip and smiled, a very disarming gesture. "If there is one thing that I've learned during my journey, Trip, it's that there is a lot more to Pokémon than strength."

The boy moved to reply, but a huge cheer from the crowd was followed by the huffing and puffing of a red-faced Iris running up to them, nearly bowling Trip over in pure-Bianca fashion.

"It's Eurus," Iris gasped, shocked, a half-smile of shock and amusement over her face. "He…he lost."


End file.
